Pronunciation[edit]

 enPR: wīld, IPA(key): /ˈwaɪ.əld/, /waɪld/, [waɪɫd]
 Rhymes: -aɪld

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Etymology 1[edit]
From Middle English wild, wilde, from Old English wilde, from Proto-West Germanic *wilþī,
from Proto-Germanic *wilþijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“hair, wool, grass, ear (of corn),
forest”).
show ▼Cognates

Adjective[edit]
wild (comparative wilder, superlative wildest)
1. Untamed; not domesticated; specifically, in an unbroken line of undomesticated animals (as
opposed to feral, referring to undomesticated animals whose ancestors were
domesticated). quotations ▼antonym ▲
Antonym: tame
Przewalski's horses are the only remaining wild horses.
2. From or relating to wild creatures.
wild honey
3. Unrestrained or uninhibited.
I was filled with wild rage when I discovered the infidelity, and punched a hole in the wall.
4. Raucous, unruly, or licentious.
The fraternity was infamous for its wild parties, which frequently resulted in police
involvement.
5. (electrical engineering) Of unregulated and varying frequency.
The aircraft's navigational equipment should not be powered from the wild AC bus except in
an emergency, as its computers can be damaged by variations in electrical frequency.
6. Visibly and overtly anxious; frantic. quotations ▼
Her mother was wild with fear when she didn't return home after the party.

7. Furious; very angry.
8. Disheveled, tangled, or untidy.
After a week on the trail without a mirror, my hair was wild and dirty.
9. Enthusiastic.
I'm not wild about the idea of a two day car trip with my nephews, but it's my only option.
10. Very inaccurate; far off the mark.
The novice archer fired a wild shot and hit her opponent's target.
11. Exposed to the wind and sea; unsheltered.
a wild roadstead

12. (nautical, of a vessel) Hard to steer.

13. (mathematics, of a knot) Not capable of being represented as
a finite closed polygonal chain. antonym ▲
Antonym: tame
14. (slang) Amazing, awesome, unbelievable.
 Did you hear? Pat won the lottery! — Wow, that's wild!
15. Able to stand in for others, e.g. a card in games, or a text character in computer pattern
matching. quotations ▼
In this card game, aces are wild: they can take the place of any other card.
16. Of an audio recording: intended to
be synchronized with film or video but recorded separately.
a wild track; wild sound
Synonyms[edit]

 See Thesaurus:wild
Derived terms[edit]

 in the wild
 walk on the wild side
 wild allspice (Lindera benzoin)
 wildebeest (Connochaetes spp.)
 wild elder (Sambucus spp. or Nuxia floribunda)
 wilden
 wild mammee
 wild man
 wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare)