wilder

¹

[ wil-der ]

verb (used with object)

1. to cause to lose one's way.
2. to bewilder.

verb (used without object)

1. to lose one's way.
2. to be bewildered.

wilder

²

[ wahyl-der ]

adjective

1. comparative of wild.

Wilder

³

[ wahyl-der ]

noun

1. Billy Samuel Wilder, 1906–2002, U.S. film director, producer, and writer; born in Austria.
2. Laura In·galls [ing, -g, uh, lz], 1867–1957, U.S. writer of children's books.
3. Thorn·ton (Niv·en) [thawrn, -tn , niv, -, uh, n], 1897–1975, U.S. novelist and playwright.

wilder

¹

/ ˈwɪldə /

verb

1. to lead or be led astray
2. to bewilder or become bewildered

Wilder

²

/ ˈwaɪldə /

noun

1. WilderBilly19062002MUSAustrianFILMS AND TV: directorFILMS AND TV: writer Billy, real name Samuel Wilder. 1906–2002, US film director and screenwriter, born in Austria. His films include Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like it Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), and Buddy Buddy (1981)
2. WilderThornton18971975MUSWRITING: novelistTHEATRE: dramatist Thornton. 1897–1975 US novelist and dramatist. His works include the novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) and the play The Skin of Our Teeth (1942)

Derived Forms

• ˈwilderment, noun

Other Word Forms

• wilder·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wilder¹

First recorded in 1605–15; perhaps extracted from wilderness; intransitive use probably by association with wander

Word History and Origins

Origin of wilder¹

C17: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

The play has elements of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” and “The Skin of Our Teeth” and echoes of contemporary plays, such as Julia Cho’s “Aubergine” and Eboni Booth’s “Primary Trust.”

From Los Angeles Times

Chris Wilder's overlapping centre-backs at Sheffield United have led to a pared-back version become commonplace for managers who deploy a back three.

From BBC

Scott Shepherd, an ERS mainstay who was not only part of the ensemble but also co-directed with John Collins and served as dramaturg, introduced the proceedings in an impishly folksy manner reminiscent of the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.”

From Los Angeles Times

Our next stop, Jamaica, Queens, was louder, wilder, and much more packed.

From Slate

After suffering the third defeat of his career against Joe Joyce in 2022, Parker has won six in succession, including a victory against former WBC champion Deontay Wilder.

From BBC