wild
WYLD
Wild (adj) means living or growing in a natural state, not tamed, farmed, or cultivated by people. Example: “We spotted wild deer grazing at the edge of the forest.”
adj
1
Living or growing in a natural state, not tamed, farmed, or cultivated by people.
"We spotted wild deer grazing at the edge of the forest."
"Wild horses still roam parts of the American West."
"They picked wild berries along the trail."
2
Uncontrolled, unrestrained, or reckless in behaviour.
"The students went wild with excitement when the holiday was announced."
"He had a wild youth and did many reckless things."
"The party got a bit wild after midnight."
3
Very surprising, extreme, or hard to believe.
"The ending of that film was so wild that nobody in the cinema spoke."
"It sounds wild, but the whole team really did win the raffle twice."
"That's a wild coincidence — we were just talking about her."
noun
1
Natural, uncultivated surroundings; nature away from human settlement.
"Some people go hiking just to spend a few days in the wild."
"Many animals born in zoos never learn how to survive in the wild."
"The rescued wolf was eventually released back into the wild."
How to use wild
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNot tamed or controlled — used for animals and plants in nature, for reckless behaviour, or informally for anything surprising.
Common pairings
wild animal
run wild
in the wild
wild guess
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Word forms
- Plural
- wilds
- Third person singular
- wilds
- Past tense
- wilded
- Comparative
- wilder
- Superlative
- wildest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We spotted _____ deer grazing at the edge of the forest.
Etymology
From Old English wilde, an ancient Germanic word ultimately linked to words for "hair" and "wool," describing untamed, shaggy nature.
Synonyms
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natural
uncultivated
undomesticated
free-roaming
wilderness
feral
ferine
indomite
savage
tameless
uplandish
untame
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for wild
See all rhymes for wild →Frequently asked questions
What does “wild” mean?
The word “wild” means living or growing in a natural state, not tamed, farmed, or cultivated by people. In plain terms, not tamed or controlled — used for animals and plants in nature, for reckless behaviour, or informally for anything surprising.
How do you pronounce “wild”?
“Wild” is pronounced WYLD (/ˈwaɪ̯ld/ in IPA).
How do you use “wild” in a sentence?
Here is “wild” used in a sentence: “Wild horses still roam parts of the American West.”
What is another word for “wild”?
Words with a similar meaning to “wild” include feral, ferine, indomite, savage, tameless and uplandish.
What is the opposite of “wild”?
The opposite of “wild” — its antonyms — are broken, docile, domesticated and tame.
What part of speech is “wild”?
Depending on how it is used, “wild” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “wild” come from?
The word “wild” comes from Old English. From Old English wilde, an ancient Germanic word ultimately linked to words for "hair" and "wool," describing untamed, shaggy nature.
Is “wild” a common word?
“Wild” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between wild and feral?
Wild describes animals or plants that have always lived or grown naturally, never tamed or cultivated. Feral describes ones that were once domesticated, or descend from domestic stock, but have returned to living wild. A wild horse was never owned; a feral horse escaped domestication and reverted to a natural state.
What is the opposite of wild?
For animals, the opposite is tame or domesticated; for plants, it is cultivated. A wild creature lives freely in nature, while a tame one is accustomed to people, and a cultivated plant is deliberately grown and tended. Wild implies independence from human control, its opposites imply the reverse.
Does wild only describe plants and animals?
No. The core sense is natural and untamed, but wild extends widely: wild weather is stormy, a wild idea is bold or reckless, wild behaviour is uncontrolled, and wild land is uncultivated. All these senses trace back to the idea of something not restrained or shaped by people.
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