wild
Translation
wild, savage, untamed, fierce
Examples
In Afrika leben viele wilde Tiere.
Many wild animals live in Africa.
Sein Haar wächst wild in alle Richtungen.
His hair grows wildly in all directions.
Die Kinder spielen wild im Garten.
The children are playing wildly in the garden.
Er hat eine wilde Vergangenheit.
He has a wild past.
Grammar Patterns
as an attributive adjective: ein wildes Tier
as a predicative adjective: The animal is wild.
as an adverb: The children play wildly.
Similar Words
Synonyms: ungezähmt (untamed), unzivilisiert (uncivilized); Antonyms: zahm (tame), kultiviert (cultivated)
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *wilþijaz, related to English 'wild'. The core meaning is 'not tamed or cultivated'.
Memory Tips
Think of a 'wild' animal in the 'wilderness' (Wildnis). The sound is almost identical to the English word.