Language Research

wild · adjective

/waɪld/Full view

Word family

Nouns: wildness

Adjectives: wild

Adverbs: wildly

wild (ANIMAL)

A2 A wild animal or plant lives or grows in its natural environment and not where people live.

Dictionary examples:

a wild dog

wild flowers

Learner example:

You can see wild animals. (Key English Test; A2; Japanese)

wild (LAND)

B2 describes land that is not used to grow crops and has few people living in it

Dictionary example:

a wild mountainous region

Learner example:

This area is still wild. (First Certificate in English; B2; Polish)

wild (ENERGETIC)

B2 very energetic and not controlled

Dictionary examples:

a wild party

wild dancing

The audience burst into wild applause.

When I told him what I'd done, he went wild.

The children were wild with excitement.

Learner example:

When Jorge went up [on] the stage to get his award, he sang the song and the crowd went wild! (First Certificate in English; B2; Spanish)

run wild

C2 If someone, especially a child, runs wild, they behave as they want to and no one controls them.

Dictionary example:

Their nine-year-old son is left to run wild.

Learner example:

My parents decided to move to a small village when I was just a kid. Shortly after we settled [in], my parents decided that I was running wild and that it was time for me to receive some sort of education. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Catalan)

run wild

C2 If someone's imagination runs wild, they are not able to control their thoughts.

Dictionary example:

It was getting dark and my imagination was starting to run wild.

Learner example:

Her imagination started to run wild and she set about think[ing] about the dark corridors, the secret passages and the obscure dungeons that the castle might hide. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Italian)

a wild accusation/guess/rumour, etc.

C2 something that you say which is not based on facts and is probably wrong

Dictionary example:

You can't go round making wild accusations like that.

wild (WEATHER)

C2 with a lot of wind, rain, etc.

Dictionary example:

a wild and stormy night

Learner example:

They played with the shadows of the night and danced with the sound of a wild wind. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Catalan)

beyond your wildest dreams

C2 bigger or better than anything you could imagine or hope for

Dictionary example:

The house was beyond my wildest dreams.

Learner example:

[It] was beyond my wildest dreams. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Spanish)

not/never in your wildest dreams

C2 used to say that something is better than anything you could imagine or hope for

Dictionary example:

Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I would be offered a starring role in Hollywood.

Learner example:

Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that finding a diary was to have such fortunate consequences for me. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Catalan)