wild
(adjective)
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Wild means ‘living in a state of nature’ or ‘not cultivated.’
- Wild animals run freely in the jungle.
- The field was full of wild flowers.
Wild also means ‘uncontrollable.’
- The teacher could not control the wild children.
- When the team scored the winning goal, the crowd went wild.
Common uses
Wild West: the western frontier of the US before a stable government was established. Figuratively, it refers to a lawless place. Example: “The city is so violent, it’s like the Wild West.”
in the wild: living in nature. Example: “Some animals live in a zoo and others live in the wild.”
Related words
wilderness: a wild region, usually where humans do not live. Example: “The archeologists hiked two days through the wilderness to reach the ruins.”
In pop culture
Wild horses couldn’t drag me away is an expression that means ‘nothing could stop me from doing a certain thing.’ It is also the chorus of the Rolling Stones’ ballad, “Wild Horses,” which you can listen to here.
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