(~s, ~er, ~est)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
Wild animals or plants live or grow in natural surroundings and are not looked after by people.
We saw two more ~ cats creeping towards us in the darkness...
The lane was lined with ~ flowers.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
2.
Wild land is natural and is not used by people.
Elmley is one of the few ~ areas remaining in the South East.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
~ness
...the ~ness of the mountains.
N-UNCOUNT
3.
The ~s of a place are the natural areas that are far away from towns.
They went canoeing in the ~s of Canada.
N-PLURAL: the N
4.
Wild is used to describe the weather or the sea when it is stormy.
The ~ weather did not deter some people from swimming in the sea.
= stormy
ADJ: usu ADJ n
5.
Wild behaviour is uncontrolled, excited, or energetic.
The children are ~ with joy...
As George himself came on stage they went ~...
They marched into town to the ~ cheers of the inhabitants.
ADJ: oft v-link ADJ with n
~ly
As she finished each song, the crowd clapped ~ly.
ADV: ADV with v
6.
If you describe someone or their behaviour as ~, you mean that they behave in a very uncontrolled way.
The house is in a mess after a ~ party.
ADJ
~ly
Five people were injured as Reynolds slashed out ~ly with a kitchen knife.
ADV: ADV with v
~ness
He had come to love the danger and the ~ness of his life.
N-UNCOUNT
7.
If someone is ~, they are very angry. (INFORMAL)
For a long time I daren’t tell him I knew, and when I did he went ~.
= mad, crazy
ADJ: usu v-link ADJ
8.
A ~ idea is unusual or extreme. A ~ guess is one that you make without much thought.
Browning’s prediction is no better than a ~ guess.
ADJ: ADJ n
~ly
‘Thirteen?’ he guessed ~ly.
ADV
9.
see also ~ly , ~ child
10.
If you are ~ about someone or something, you like them very much. (INFORMAL)
I’m just ~ about Peter, and he’s just ~ about me...
= be crazy about
PHRASE: V inflects
11.
Animals that live in the ~ live in a free and natural state and are not looked after by people.
Fewer than a thousand giant pandas still live in the ~.
PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR
12.
If something or someone, especially a child, runs ~, they behave in a natural, free, or uncontrolled way.
Everything that could grow was running ~ for lack of attention...
PHRASE: V inflects
13.
beyond your ~est dreams: see dream
in your ~est dreams: see dream
to sow your ~ oats: see oats