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wild

adj. · n. · v.
US //ˈwaɪɫd// UK //wˈaɪld// wild
  1. 1 nature and animals (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    living or growing in nature; not kept by people or grown on a farm.

    living or growing in a natural state; not domesticated or cultivated.

    Example

    We saw several wild horses running across the fields during our trip.

    Example

    The conservation project aims to reintroduce wild bison to the plains, restoring the natural balance of the ecosystem after decades of absence.
  2. 2 uncontrolled or exciting (adj.)
    B1 Intermediate

    very exciting, loud, or not controlled.

    characterised by a lack of restraint, discipline, or quiet order.

    Example

    The fans went wild when their team scored the winning goal.

    Example

    The party became increasingly wild as the night progressed, eventually prompting neighbours to call the authorities regarding the noise.
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  1. 3 inaccurate (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    not accurate or far from the target.

    lacking precision or control; far removed from the intended target or truth.

    Example

    He made a wild guess about the price because he had no idea.

    Example

    The striker's wild shot flew high over the crossbar, missing the goal by at least ten metres.
  2. 4 surprising or crazy (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Slang

    very surprising, shocking, or hard to believe.

    highly unusual, remarkable, or extreme in nature; often used to describe shocking news or situations.

    Example

    It is wild that we both lived in the same small town and never met.

    Example

    The plot twist at the end of the movie was absolutely wild; nobody in the cinema saw it coming.
  3. 5 stormy weather (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    having very strong winds and big waves.

    characterised by turbulent weather conditions, particularly strong winds and rough seas.

    Example

    The sailors struggled to keep the boat steady in the wild sea.

    Example

    A wild wind battered the coastal cliffs, sending spray high into the air and making the narrow paths treacherous for hikers.
  4. 6 substitute card or character (adj.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    a card or symbol that can represent any other card or symbol.

    denoting a card or character that can be used to represent any other value in a game or search pattern.

    Example

    In this card game, the joker is a wild card that helps you win.

    Example

    The programmer used a wild character in the search string to find all files ending in a specific extension.
  5. 7 the wilderness (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    an area of land that is far from towns and where no people live.

    a natural, uncultivated region inhabited only by wild animals; usually used in the plural.

    Example

    They spent a week camping in the wild, far away from any roads.

    Example

    Few explorers have ventured deep into the northern wilds, where the terrain is unforgiving and the weather changes without warning.

    Usage

    Usually used as 'the wilds' or 'the wild'.
  6. 8 acting crazy (v.)
    C1 Advanced Slang American English

    to act in a very strange, excited, or unexpected way.

    to behave in an unrestrained, erratic, or socially unacceptable manner.

    Example

    Stop wilding and sit down before you break something.

    Example

    The crowd started wilding after the performer jumped off the stage into the front row.

    Usage

    Commonly used in the progressive form 'wilding' or 'wildin'.
Origin

From Middle English wild, wilde, from Old English wilde, from Proto-West Germanic wilþī, from Proto-Germanic wilþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“hair, wool, grass, ear (of corn), forest”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian wyld, Dutch wild, German wild, Danish vild, Swedish vild, Norwegian vill, Icelandic villtur.

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