wilderness
wild, uninhabited natural land
A big area of land that is wild and natural, with no towns and almost no people living there.
[someone] goes into the wilderness
- They hiked for days through the Arctic wilderness.
- The park protects over a million acres of untouched wilderness.
- 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.
- We camped in the wilderness for three nights.
- Bears live in the wilderness, far from towns.
- 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.
state of being ignored or powerless
A situation where a person or group is outside the main group and has little power, attention, or success.
[someone] is left in the wilderness
- After the scandal, the party spent a decade in the political wilderness.
- His bold ideas left him in the wilderness for years, but now everyone is listening.
- 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.
- After the vote, the small party was in the wilderness for many years.
- Her new ideas were in the wilderness at first, and few people supported them.
- 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.
confusing mass of many things
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 wilderness of [things]
- New parents can feel lost in a wilderness of conflicting advice.
- The report tries to bring order to a wilderness of economic data.
- 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.
- I got lost in a wilderness of new rules at my job.
- There is a wilderness of forms to fill in at the office.
- 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.
- Base: wilderness
- Plural: wilderness, wildernesses
a voice crying in the wilderness
1person whose warnings are ignored
A person who gives warnings or ideas that are not heard or accepted by other people.
- 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
1out of political office or influence
To be out of political power and have little influence for some time.
- 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
1out of power or favor
To be outside the main group, without power, success, or attention, often for a long time.
- 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
1period 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.
- 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
1protected wild natural region
A large place on land that the law protects and keeps wild, with almost no buildings or roads.
- 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
1skills 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.
- 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
1therapy 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.
- 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.