wilderness
gb/wˈɪldɚnəs/ us/wˈɪldɚnəs/
B1
English
~ 7900
vadon, partvonalra szorulás, marginalizálódás, útvesztő, dzsungel
NOUN
B1
1
vadon
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] goes into the wilderness
They hiked for days through the Arctic wilderness.
Napokig túráztak a sarkvidéki vadonban.
The park protects over a million acres of untouched wilderness.
A park több mint négyszázezer hektárnyi érintetlen vadont véd.
After the car broke down, they were stranded in the desert wilderness.
Many people go to the wilderness to escape the noise of modern life.
The documentary showed how animals survive in the African wilderness.
Learner examples
We camped in the wilderness for three nights.
Három éjszakát táboroztunk a vadonban.
Bears live in the wilderness, far from towns.
A medvék a vadonban élnek, távol a városoktól.
The plane flew over miles of green wilderness.
Some people enjoy walking alone in the wilderness.
This country still has a lot of beautiful wilderness.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "wilderness" only means "desert." In fact, it can be any kind of wild area with little human development, including forests, mountains, tundra, and wetlands. Also, "wilderness" is usually uncountable: we normally say "a region of wilderness" or "the wilderness," not "a wilderness" unless emphasizing one particular wild area.
Meaning
wild, uninhabited natural land
Collocations
vast wilderness
|remote wilderness
|untouched wilderness
|into the wilderness
|wilderness area
|protected wilderness
Synonyms
the wild (More informal and general; often used in everyday speech instead of the more formal-sounding "wilderness.")
|
backcountry (Emphasizes remote, rural outdoor areas; often used in North American contexts, especially about hiking and camping.)
Antonyms
city (Represents a heavily built and populated area, the opposite of empty, natural wilderness.)
|
civilization (Highlights human society, buildings, and services, as opposed to wild, undeveloped land.)
Themes
nature
|travel
|environment
Definition
A big area of land that is wild and natural, with no towns and almost no people living there.
A large, mostly uninhabited natural area that has not been significantly changed or developed by people.
NOUN
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is left in the wilderness
After the scandal, the party spent a decade in the political wilderness.
A botrány után a párt egy évtizedre a politikai élet peremére szorult.
His bold ideas left him in the wilderness for years, but now everyone is listening.
Merész ötletei miatt évekig a partvonalra szorult, de most már mindenki rá figyel.
The movement was pushed into the wilderness after losing public support.
Following the election defeat, she found herself back in the wilderness.
The group’s views were once in the wilderness, but they are now widely accepted.
Learner examples
After the vote, the small party was in the wilderness for many years.
A szavazás után a kis párt sok évre a politikai élet peremére szorult.
Her new ideas were in the wilderness at first, and few people supported them.
Az új ötletei eleinte a partvonalra szorultak, és kevesen támogatták őket.
He was a famous leader, but now he lives in the wilderness of politics.
The team was in the wilderness until a new coach arrived.
The writer spent years in the wilderness before his books sold well.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning always refers to nature or physical places. In phrases like "in the political wilderness" or "years in the wilderness," it is metaphorical and describes being outside power, success, or attention, not being in an actual forest or desert.
Meaning
state of being ignored or powerless
Collocations
in the wilderness
|political wilderness
|years in the wilderness
|left in the wilderness
|consigned to the wilderness
Synonyms
exile (Focuses more on being forced to live away from one's home or country; similar feeling of being cut off, but more physical and often legal.)
|
margins (Usually used in the phrase "on the margins" to mean outside the center of power or society, without the strong metaphor of wild land.)
Antonyms
mainstream (Describes being inside the dominant group or way of thinking, the opposite of being out in the "wilderness.")
|
in power (Means having authority or control, particularly in politics, which contrasts with being in the political wilderness.)
Themes
society
|politics
|relationships
Definition
A situation where a person or group is outside the main group and has little power, attention, or success.
A condition in which a person, group, or set of ideas is separated from power, influence, or attention and is not accepted by the main group.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
a wilderness of [things]
New parents can feel lost in a wilderness of conflicting advice.
Az újdonsült szülők könnyen elveszettnek érezhetik magukat az egymásnak ellentmondó tanácsok útvesztőjében.
The report tries to bring order to a wilderness of economic data.
A jelentés megpróbál rendet teremteni a gazdasági adatok átláthatatlan dzsungelében.
Visitors are met by a wilderness of signs pointing in every direction.
He struggled to make sense of the wilderness of rules and exceptions.
For many users, the settings menu is a wilderness of options.
Learner examples
I got lost in a wilderness of new rules at my job.
A munkahelyemen elvesztem az új szabályok útvesztőjében.
There is a wilderness of forms to fill in at the office.
Az irodában kitöltendő űrlapok valóságos dzsungele vár.
She tried to understand the wilderness of information on the internet.
For beginners, grammar can feel like a wilderness of strange words.
The city map looked like a wilderness of small streets to me.
Common mistake:
Learners may take this sense literally and imagine forests or deserts. When used with "of" plus an abstract noun, such as "a wilderness of rules" or "a wilderness of mirrors," it is figurative and emphasizes confusion and lack of clear structure.
Meaning
confusing mass of many things
Collocations
a wilderness of mirrors
|a wilderness of paperwork
|a wilderness of signs
|a wilderness of regulations
Synonyms
maze (Suggests a structure with actual paths; "wilderness" sounds more open, wild, and unplanned.)
|
jungle (Often used figuratively like "urban jungle"; more informal and vivid than "wilderness" in this sense.)
Antonyms
clarity (Highlights the opposite quality: things being easy to see, understand, or organize.)
|
order (Stresses an organized, structured situation, not a confusing "wilderness" of things.)
Themes
literature
|metaphor
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A poetic way to say there are so many things, ideas, or signs that it is hard to understand or choose a clear way.
A figurative description of a space or situation where there are many things or ideas that make it difficult to find a clear path or understanding.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wilderness
IPA
GB/wˈɪldɚnəs/
US/wˈɪldɚnəs/
Syllables & stress
wil - der - ness (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (wil)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wilderness
- Plural: wilderness, wildernesses
Word family
Expressions
a voice crying in the wilderness
1/ə vˈɔɪs kɹˈaɪɪŋ ˈɪn ðə wˈɪldɚnəs/
idiom
literary
person whose warnings are ignored
A person who gives warnings or ideas that are not heard or accepted by other people.
Examples
- For years she was a voice crying in the wilderness about climate change.
- At the time he seemed like a voice crying in the wilderness, but later everyone agreed with him.
- The researcher felt like a voice crying in the wilderness as her reports were ignored.
in the political wilderness
1/ˈɪn ðə pəlˈɪtɪkəl wˈɪldɚnəs/
fixed phrase
out of political office or influence
To be out of political power and have little influence for some time.
Examples
- The party has been in the political wilderness since the last election.
- After losing her seat, she spent years in the political wilderness before returning to parliament.
- The scandal pushed the entire movement into the political wilderness.
in the wilderness
1/ˈɪn ðə wˈɪldɚnəs/
idiom
out of power or favor
To be outside the main group, without power, success, or attention, often for a long time.
Examples
- The party was in the wilderness for twelve years before winning the election.
- After his hit TV show ended, he spent a decade in the wilderness.
- Her ideas were in the wilderness until the climate crisis made people listen.
the wilderness years
1/ðə wˈɪldɚnəs jˈɪɹz/
idiom
period of low success or power
A time in someone’s life, or in a group’s history, when they have little success, power, or public attention.
Examples
- The book describes the prime minister’s wilderness years before he came to power.
- She used her wilderness years between jobs to retrain as a nurse.
- The band’s wilderness years ended when their latest album went viral.
wilderness area
1/wˈɪldɚnəs ˈɛɹiə/
fixed phrase
protected wild natural region
A large place on land that the law protects and keeps wild, with almost no buildings or roads.
Examples
- The government created a new wilderness area to protect the rainforest.
- Camping is allowed in the wilderness area, but open fires are banned.
- This national park includes one of the largest wilderness areas in the country.
wilderness survival
1/wˈɪldɚnəs sɚvˈaɪvəl/
fixed phrase
skills for surviving in wild nature
The skills you need to live and stay safe in wild places, such as finding water, making shelter, and building a fire.
Examples
- He teaches wilderness survival courses in the mountains.
- Basic wilderness survival knowledge can save your life on a long hike.
- The show focuses on wilderness survival rather than luxury camping.
wilderness therapy
1/wˈɪldɚnəs θˈɛɹəpi/
fixed phrase
technical
therapy using extended outdoor stays
A type of treatment where people, often teenagers, live and travel in wild nature with counselors to help them with emotional or behavior problems.
Examples
- Her parents enrolled her in a wilderness therapy program for troubled teens.
- The documentary raised questions about safety standards in wilderness therapy.
- Some families report that wilderness therapy changed their child’s life.