Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Appearing extremely agitated, frantic, or insane: Describes a person or animal whose eyes have a wide, staring, and uncontrolled look, typically due to intense fear, anger, excitement, or mental disturbance.
   • Not sensible about practical matters; fanatical, extreme, or unrealistic: Describes a person, idea, or plan that is radically idealistic, impractical, or driven by extreme fervor.

Examples of Usage

• Describing an agitated appearance:
  • The wild-eyed prophet shouted warnings on the street corner.
  • After the explosion, survivors stumbled out of the building, wild-eyed with shock.
• Describing an impractical or extreme idea:
  • He presented a wild-eyed scheme for building a city on Mars by next year.
  • The politician was dismissed for his wild-eyed conspiracy theories.

Advanced Usage

• Used attributively to modify nouns indicating plans, schemes, or theories:
  • The meeting was dominated by wild-eyed proposals that had no basis in reality.
• Can imply a combination of mental agitation and ideological extremism:
  • The capture of the wild-eyed fanatic ended the siege.

Variants and Related Words

• Wildly (adverb): In a wild or uncontrolled manner.
  • He stared wildly at the approaching crowd.
• Wildness (noun): The quality or state of being wild.
  • The wildness in his eyes was frightening.

Synonyms

• Frenzied: Showing wild or uncontrolled excitement or emotion.
• Fanatical: Filled with excessive and single-minded zeal.
• Unrealistic: Not showing a sensible or practical idea of what can be achieved.
• Rabid: Having or proceeding from an extreme or fanatical support of something.

Related Phrases

• To look wild-eyed: To have a wild-eyed appearance.
  • She looked wild-eyed after hearing the terrible news.
• Wild-eyed enthusiasm: Extreme and uncritical excitement for an idea.
  • He defended his project with wild-eyed enthusiasm, ignoring all criticism.

Adjective

1. not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic
   • as quixotic as a restoration of medieval knighthood
   • a romantic disregard for money
   • a wild-eyed dream of a world state
2. appearing extremely agitated
   • crowded the wild-eyed animals into a truck