Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state of being wild; an untamed, uncultivated, or natural condition: This refers to the quality of a place, animal, or plant that is not controlled or changed by humans.
   • An unruly, uncontrolled, or undisciplined nature: This refers to a lack of restraint or order in a person's character or behavior.
   • The quality of being turbulent, violent, or stormy: This refers to intense, chaotic force, often in nature or emotions.
   • Intense, unrestrained emotional fervor or passion: This refers to a powerful, often uncontrolled, emotional intensity.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The wildness of the mountain landscape was breathtaking. (The untamed, natural state of the mountain landscape was breathtaking.)
  • As a child, his wildness often got him into trouble at school. (His unruly, undisciplined nature often got him into trouble.)
  • The wildness of the sea during the storm was terrifying. (The turbulent, violent quality of the sea was terrifying.)
  • She sang with a wildness that captivated the entire audience. (She sang with an intense, unrestrained emotional passion.)

Advanced Usage

• "a touch of wildness": a slight element of being untamed or undisciplined.
  • His conservative suit was offset by a touch of wildness in his brightly colored tie.
• "to reclaim from wildness": to bring under control or cultivate from an untamed state.
  • The settlers worked for years to reclaim the land from wildness.

Variants and Related Words

• Wild (adj): living or growing in a natural state; not controlled by humans; showing strong, uncontrolled emotion.
  • Wild animals, a wild guess, wild with joy.
• Wildly (adv): in a wild manner; to an extreme or uncontrolled degree.
  • She waved her arms wildly. The idea is wildly popular.
• Wilderness (n): an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region.
  • They went hiking in the wilderness.

Synonyms

• Ferocity: the state of being fierce or violent in nature.
• Savagery: the quality of being fierce, violent, and uncontrolled.
• Unruliness: the quality of being disorderly and difficult to control.
• Turbulence: a state of violent disorder or agitation.
• Intensity: the quality of being very strong, concentrated, or extreme.

Related Phrases

• Run wild: to grow or behave without restraint or control.
  • The garden has been left to run wild.
• Sow one's wild oats: to behave in a wild or uncontrolled way, especially when young.
  • He traveled the world sowing his wild oats before settling down.

Related Idioms

• A wild goose chase: a futile search or pursuit of something unattainable.
  • Looking for that old book in this city is a wild goose chase.
• In the wild: in a natural environment, not in captivity or a controlled setting.
  • It's rare to see these birds in the wild.

Noun

1. an intractably barbarous or uncultivated state of nature
2. an unruly disposition to do as one pleases
   • Liza had always had a tendency to wildness
   • the element of wildness in his behavior was a protest against repressive convention
3. the property of being wild or turbulent
   • the storm's violence
4. a feeling of extreme emotional intensity
   • the wildness of his anger