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. Shaks., Lucr., 980. And let milde women to him loose their mildnesse, Wilder to him then Tygers in their wildnesse.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. 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. Shaks., 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, toughness of manners (obs.).
1639. N. N., trans. 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. 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. Shaks., 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. Maria 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. Shaks., 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. Sarah 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. A. R. 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. Miss Braddon, Like & Unlike, ix. Your wildness was your charm…. You were a beautiful, ignorant creature, knowing nothing of the world.
