wildness
(ˈwaɪldnɪs)
Forms: see wild a.
[f. wild a. + -ness. Cf. MHG. wiltnisse, G. wildnis.]
The quality or condition of being wild, in various senses.
1. a. Undomesticated state (of an animal); the untamed disposition characteristic of such state; fierceness, savageness, ferocity; also, shyness.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 528 Wyldnesse, indomitas, ferocitas. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xi. (Percy Soc.) 40 Mylyzyus..Dyd fyrst attame and breke the wyldenes Of the riall stedes. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 980 And let milde women to him loose their mildnesse, Wilder to him then Tygers in their wildnesse. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 31 Lyke wylde hartes,..throuch a certane wyldnes of nature, flie the..syght of man. 1611 [see beauty 8]. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. V. 125 His necessities, and the privation of light, make him lose all idea of liberty, and bring down his natural wildness. 1859 Darwin Orig. Spec. vii. 212 The greater wildness of all our large birds than of our small birds. |
b. Uncultivated state (of a plant).
| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, v. ii. 55 Our Vineyards, Fallowes, Meades, and Hedges, Defectiue in their natures, grow to wildnesse. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 73 These [trees]..change their salvage Mind: Their Wildness lose. 1892 Kath. Tynan in Speaker 3 Sept. 290/1 The roses..will deteriorate year after year, returning gradually to wildness. |
2. Uncultivated state (of a place or region); the character or aspect of such a place or its scenery. Also concr. a wild place, a wilderness (now rare or obs.).
| c 1374 Chaucer Former Age 34 Thyse tyrauntz put hem gladly nat in pres No places wyldnesse ne no busshes for to wynne. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. clxxxv. (1516) o iv b/2 Nat ferre from warwyke in a wyldenesse [later edd. wyldernes(se]. 1615 W. Lawson Country Housew. Garden (1626) 3 The wildnesse of the earth and weeds..is killed by frosts and drought. 1625 Bacon Ess., Gardens (Arb.) 562 The Heath..I wish..to be framed, as much as may be, to a Naturall wildnesse. 1709 Prior Henry & Emma 420 The Wildness of the Wood. 1801 Coxe Tour in Monmouthshire I. 67 The scenery..is a pleasing intermixture of wildness and cultivation. 1815 Scott Guy M. xvii, All the wildness of Salvator here, and there the fairy scenes of Claude. 1832 R. & J. Lander Exped. Niger I. xi. 78 The gloomy fastnesses and wildnesses of nature. |
3. Uncivilized or uncultured state or character (of persons); savagery, barbarity; † rudeness, roughness of manners (obs.).
| 1639 N. N. tr. Du Bosq's Compl. Woman i. 62 The wildnesse of the one, prevailes more then the faire perswasion of the other. 1680 Otway Orphan i. iv, I'd rather..grow wrinckled and deform'd As wildness and most rude neglect could make me. 1869 H. F. Tozer Highl. Turkey II. 174 The wildness of the tribes by which it was inhabited. 1871 Burr Ad Fidem iv. 63 There is a native wildness in every man. |
4. Unrestrained condition or quality; want of, resistance to, or freedom from restraint or control (with various shades of meaning). a. Disposition to take one's own way; unruliness, insubordination; disorderly or riotous conduct; dissolute character, looseness of morals, licentiousness, wantonness; excessive liveliness or frolicsomeness.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 4894 The tyme of yougth forto pace Withoute ony deth or distresse, It is so full of wyldenesse. Ibid. 4939 Folkes forto lede Into disporte and wyldenesse. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 528 Wyldnesse, or wantonhede, insolencia, dissolucio. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cccxciii. fff v/2 Somtyme ryot dothe good. We haue well aduaunsed forthe our payment with a lytell wyldnesse. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V 33 Turnyng insolencie and wildnes into grauitie and sobernes. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. ii. i. 189 He is giuen To sports, to wildenesse, and much company. 1605 Lond. Prodigal iii. iii, Impute his wildnesse, syr, vnto his youth. 1692 Dryden St. Euremont's Ess. 28 The Roman people had something of wildness in them; afterwards this Humour turned into Austerity, and became a rigid Vertue. 1710 R. Ward Life H. More 51 Ye are running into strange Wildnesses and Excesses. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1810) III. ii. 23 To be sure Mr. Lovelace was a wild gentleman, but wildness was a distemper which would cure itself. 1801 M. Edgeworth Contrast i, She hoped his wildness was only the effect of good spirits, and that he would soon settle to some business. 1827 Coleridge Table-t. 23 July, Genius may co-exist with wildness, idleness, folly, even with crime. 1879 D. J. Hill Life Irving 152 Moore, full of troubles from want of means and the wildness of his son. |
b. Frenzy, distraction; distracted air or aspect; extreme folly or unreasonableness, irrational or fantastic character, extravagance; violence, vehemence, passionateness (of a feeling, etc.); excitedness, extreme eagerness.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 9197 What wildnes, or worship, waknet my hert, For to hap her in hert? 1602 Shakes. Ham. iii. i. 40, I do wish That your good Beauties be the happy cause Of Hamlets wildenesse. 1621 Fletcher Pilgrim v. v, Though he be rash, and suddain (which is all his wildness) Take heed ye wrong him not. 1725 Watts Logic ii. iii. §3 A Delirium is but a short Wildness of the Imagination. 1785 S. Fielding Ophelia II. vi, I enquired for Lord Dorchester with an eager wildness. 1808 Scott Marm. vi. v, Joy unwonted, and surprise, Gave their strange wildness to his eyes. 1883 D. C. Murray Hearts xix, Alarmed by his aspect and the wildness of his words. 1884 Pennington Wiclif viii. 269 There is no fanaticism, no wildness in his statements. |
5. In reference to style or aspect, with various implications: cf. prec. senses and wild a. 14, 14 b.
| 1762 Warton Observ. Spenser's F.Q. (ed. 2) I. v. 197 His [sc. Chaucer's] romantic arguments, his wildness of painting, his simplicity and antiquity of expression. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian xiii, The simplicity of their appearance, approached to wildness, was tempered by an hospitable spirit. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xxv. 184 There was a wildness in the sky like that of anger. 1887 M. E. Braddon Like & Unlike ix, Your wildness was your charm... You were a beautiful, ignorant creature, knowing nothing of the world. |