ENGLISH
REFERENCE

walk on the wild side

idiom
Meaning

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


Examples
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.

Anchors to
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 April 17, 2026