wallow
/'wɔlou/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
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.
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
- an indolent or clumsy rolling about
- a good wallow in the water
- a puddle where animals go to wallow
Verb
- delight greatly in
- wallow in your success!
- be ecstatic with joy
- rise up as if in waves
- smoke billowed up into the sky
- roll around, "pigs were wallowing in the mud"
- devote oneself entirely to something; indulge in to an immoderate degree, usually with pleasure
- Wallow in luxury
- wallow in your sorrows