US /ˈwɑːloʊ/ UK /ˈwɒ.ləʊ/
noun verb Freq #22707

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    To let yourself enjoy or sink into a feeling, often a sad or self-pitying one.

    Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she decided to make a fresh start.

  2. 2
    verb

    To roll about in mud or water, the way some animals do.

    The pigs wallowed happily in the cool mud.

  3. 3
    noun

    A muddy pool where animals roll about.

    The buffalo gathered at the wallow to escape the heat.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · to let yourself enjoy or... baskindulgeluxuriaterevel
2 verb · to roll about in mud or... welter
Word family
Forms wallowedwallowingwallows
Derived forms hog-wallowing

Etymology

From Middle English walowen, walewen, walwen, welwen, from Old English wealwian (“to roll”), from Proto-West Germanic *walwōn, variant of *walwijan, from Proto-Germanic *walwijaną (“to roll”), from Proto-Indo-European *welw-, from Proto-Indo-European *welH- (“to turn, wind, roll”). Cognate with Latin volvō (“roll, tumble”, verb).

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Topics

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