wallow

[ wol-oh ]

verb (used without object)

1. to roll about or lie in water, snow, mud, dust, or the like, as for refreshment:

   Goats wallowed in the dust.

2. to live self-indulgently; luxuriate; revel:

   to wallow in luxury; to wallow in sentimentality.

   Synonyms: bask, swim

3. to flounder about; move along or proceed clumsily or with difficulty:

   A gunboat wallowed toward port.

4. to surge up or billow forth, as smoke or heat:

   Waves of black smoke wallowed into the room.

noun

1. an act or instance of wallowing.
2. a place in which animals wallow:

   hog wallow; an elephant wallow.

3. the indentation produced by animals wallowing:

   a series of wallows across the farmyard.

wallow

/ ˈwɒləʊ /

verb

1. (esp of certain animals) to roll about in mud, water, etc, for pleasure
2. to move about with difficulty
3. to indulge oneself in possessions, emotion, etc

   to wallow in self-pity

4. (of smoke, waves, etc) to billow

noun

1. the act or an instance of wallowing
2. a muddy place or depression where animals wallow

Derived Forms

• ˈwallower, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wallow¹

before 900; Middle English walwe, Old English wealwian to roll; cognate with Gothic walwjan; akin to Latin volvere

Word History and Origins

Origin of wallow¹

Old English wealwian to roll (in mud); related to Latin volvere to turn, Greek oulos curly, Russian valun round pebble

Example Sentences

He really captures how its appeal lies in the permission it gives followers to shut off their brains and instead wallow in their worst impulses.

From Salon

In the 12 days until Election Day, Donald Trump is only going to wallow and roll around even more in his ugly bucket and latrine of racism, white supremacy, misogyny and other hatreds.

From Salon

That creates a permission structure for unstable people to wallow in their irrational hatreds.

From Salon

Their propaganda apparatus encourages white people to wallow in sick urban legends about cat-eating immigrants, which creates the temporary thrill of feeling superior without doing anything substantive to improve their lives.

From Salon

Thatt’s not to say that the Telluride lineup will be all about wallowing in the world’s woes.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• flounder
• lurch
• totter