English Reference
Idiom idiom

walk on the wild side


An occasion or incident involving adventurous, risky, or morally questionable behavior.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“He decided to walk on the wild side and quit his job.”

CONTEXTUAL

“During their vacation in a foreign city, they decided to walk on the wild side and explore the dangerous parts of town.”

COMPLEX

“After years of living a predictable and cautious life, she felt a sudden, desperate urge to walk on the wild side and abandon her responsibilities for a night.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a wild goose never laid a tame egg

    Most things are inherited and predetermined.

  2. 02

    ball and Chalk

    [Cockney slang]walk

  3. 03

    bright side

    A consoling aspect of a difficult situation.

  4. 04

    butter one's bread on both sides

    To profit from two things at the same time, especially when those things seem contradictory or incompatible.

  5. 05

    cake walk

    Something extremely easy.

  6. 06

    cock of the walk

    A proud or conceited person.

  7. 07

    crawl before one walks

    To learn the basics before doing something at a more advanced level.

  8. 08

    err on the side of

    To behave in a manner which favours or which is biased toward.

Last updated August 10, 2026