Definition

1. Verb:

   • To roll about or lie in water, mud, or another liquid or soft substance, especially for pleasure or to keep cool: This is the most common meaning, often describing the behavior of animals like pigs, elephants, or buffaloes.
   • To indulge in something to an excessive degree, often with great pleasure or self-pity: This figurative meaning describes being deeply immersed in a particular emotion, state, or activity.

2. Noun:

   • An act or instance of wallowing: The action of rolling about in mud or water.
   • A place where animals go to wallow: A depression in the ground containing mud or water used by animals for this purpose.

Examples of Usage

• Verb (Literal):

  • The pigs love to wallow in the cool mud on hot days.
  • After the rain, the elephants found a perfect spot to wallow.

• Verb (Figurative):

  • After winning the award, he seemed to wallow in the praise and admiration.
  • Don't just wallow in self-pity; try to find a solution to the problem.

• Noun:

  • The hippopotamus gave a satisfied grunt after a long wallow. (act)
  • The waterhole had become a popular wallow for the local wildlife. (place)

Advanced Usage

• "to wallow in something": This is the standard construction for both literal and figurative uses. It emphasizes immersion in the substance or state.
  • The company continues to wallow in debt.
  • She chose to wallow in nostalgia, looking through old photo albums.

Variants and Related Words

• Wallower (n): One who wallows. (Rarely used)
• Wallowing (n/adj): The act or an instance of wallowing; characterized by wallowing.
  • His wallowing in regret was unproductive.

Synonyms

• Verb (Literal): Roll, flounder, splash.
• Verb (Figurative): Revel, bask, luxuriate, indulge, immerse oneself.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Constructions

(Note: "Wallow" is not typically used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. Its meaning is carried by the construction "wallow in.") - "Wallow in": To be deeply involved in a particular state, emotion, or substance. - He tends to wallow in despair when things go wrong. - They wallow in luxury at their vacation home.

Related Idioms

• "Wallow in one's own sorrow/misery": To indulge excessively in feelings of sadness or self-pity without trying to improve the situation.
  • It's been a month since the breakup; you can't just wallow in your own misery forever.

Noun

1. an indolent or clumsy rolling about
   • a good wallow in the water
2. a puddle where animals go to wallow

Verb

1. delight greatly in
   • wallow in your success!
2. be ecstatic with joy
3. rise up as if in waves
   • smoke billowed up into the sky
4. roll around, "pigs were wallowing in the mud"
5. devote oneself entirely to something; indulge in to an immoderate degree, usually with pleasure
   • Wallow in luxury
   • wallow in your sorrows