wallow
B2Formal, literary
Definition
Meaning
To roll about or lie in mud or water, especially for pleasure or to keep cool (for animals); to indulge oneself in a state or emotion.
To be excessively immersed in, and often take pleasure from, a negative emotional state or condition; to luxuriate in something, often self-indulgently.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word carries a dual connotation: a neutral/biological sense for animals (pigs, hippos, elephants) and a strongly negative, moralistic sense when applied to humans and emotions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or meaning differences. Minor usage frequency in certain phrases may vary.
Connotations
Similar connotations in both varieties. The emotional sense ('wallow in self-pity') is universally understood as negative.
Frequency
Slightly more common in British English in the literal, agricultural/zoological sense. The figurative sense is equally common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
VERB + in + NOUN (emotional state/substance)VERB + (adverb/prepositional phrase)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Wallow in one's own misery”
- “Wallow in the mire”
- “Wallow like a pig”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Potentially used metaphorically: 'The company cannot afford to wallow in past failures.'
Academic
Used in literary criticism, psychology, and history to describe prolonged, indulgent emotional states.
Everyday
Common in advice/criticism: 'Stop wallowing and do something about it!'
Technical
Used in agriculture/zoology describing animal behaviour.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The pigs were happily wallowing in the cool mud after the rain.
- He decided to stop wallowing in nostalgia and focus on the present.
- It's unbecoming to wallow in self-pity for so long.
American English
- The hippos wallow in the river to keep their skin moist.
- She spent the weekend wallowing in misery after the bad news.
- Don't just wallow in your problems—find a solution.
adverb
British English
- (Extremely rare, not standard usage)
American English
- (Extremely rare, not standard usage)
adjective
British English
- The wallow hole was a favourite spot for the farm's cattle.
American English
- They found a wallow pit created by a herd of bison.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The big pig likes to wallow in the mud.
- Please don't wallow in the dirty water.
- After losing the game, he just wanted to wallow in his room.
- Elephants wallow in water to cool down.
- It's unhealthy to wallow in guilt over a minor mistake.
- The documentary showed buffalo wallowing in dust baths.
- The author warns against the tendency to wallow in nostalgic idealisation of the past.
- Rather than wallowing in despair, she channelled her grief into activism.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a WALLOWing (WALrus LOW) in the water, rolling around slowly and heavily.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTION/STATE IS A LIQUID/SUBSTANCE ONE CAN IMMERSE ONESELF IN.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'to wall' (строить стену).
- Do not translate as 'to swim' (плавать). The core image is rolling in something thick (грязь, вода).
- The figurative sense is stronger in English than a direct translation of 'валяться' might imply; it always carries a judgement of excessive indulgence.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: 'wallow on misery' (correct: 'wallow IN misery').
- Using it positively without irony: 'I wallowed in my success.' (This sounds odd; 'basked' or 'reveled' is better).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'wallow' CORRECTLY in its most common figurative sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely, and usually with irony or in a specific context (e.g., 'wallow in luxury'). For positive immersion, words like 'bask', 'revel', or 'luxuriate' are preferred.
Primarily yes (self-pity, misery, despair). It can be used for neutral/animal behaviour (mud, water) or slightly negative-neutral states (nostalgia). Positive emotions sound unnatural with 'wallow'.
'Immersed' is neutral and can be positive (immersed in work, a book). 'Wallow' implies a lack of control, passivity, and often pleasurable indulgence in something detrimental.
In its standard figurative and common literal senses, yes. The pattern is almost always 'wallow in + noun phrase'. Other prepositions (e.g., 'about', 'around') are possible but less common.