wolf
B1Neutral. The noun is common in general and biological contexts. The verb is informal.
Definition
Meaning
a wild carnivorous mammal of the dog family, living and hunting in packs
used figuratively for a person who is fiercely cruel, predatory, or sexually aggressive; also the action of eating food quickly and greedily
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The noun carries strong connotations of wildness, pack behavior, and predation. Figurative uses are almost always negative.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both use 'wolf' and 'wolf down' (verb).
Connotations
Identical core meaning. The idiom 'cry wolf' is universal.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[wolf] down [food]be [wolfed] down[wolf] at the door (idiom)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cry wolf”
- “a wolf in sheep's clothing”
- “keep the wolf from the door”
- “throw someone to the wolves”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used literally. Metaphorical: 'lone wolf' (independent operator), 'wolf of Wall Street' (predatory financier).
Academic
Common in biology/ecology texts. Used in literary analysis for predatory characters.
Everyday
Common for the animal, the verb ('wolf down lunch'), and key idioms.
Technical
Primarily zoological: species classification (Canis lupus), pack dynamics.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He wolfed down his sandwich before the meeting.
- Don't wolf your food; you'll get indigestion.
American English
- She wolfed down the burger in three bites.
- The kids wolfed their pizza and ran back outside.
adverb
British English
- No standard adverbial form. Use 'like a wolf' (He ate like a wolf).
American English
- No standard adverbial form. Use 'wolfishly' (rare: He grinned wolfishly).
adjective
British English
- He has a wolfish grin.
- The documentary showed the wolf pack's behaviour.
American English
- She gave him a wolfish smile.
- They studied wolf populations in Yellowstone.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The wolf lives in the forest.
- The big bad wolf is in the story.
- Wolves hunt in packs to catch large animals.
- He was so hungry he wolfed down his dinner.
- Conservation efforts have helped reintroduce the grey wolf to some national parks.
- She suspected her charming new colleague was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
- The politician's wolfish rhetoric preyed on the fears of the electorate.
- The idiom 'cry wolf' originates from Aesop's fable about a shepherd boy.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the 'wo' in 'wolf' sounds like the 'woo' of the wind, and the 'lf' sounds like a low growl.
Conceptual Metaphor
PEOPLE ARE ANIMALS (specifically, cruel/aggressive people are wolves).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'волк' (wolf) which has an identical core meaning but different idioms. 'Волк-одиночка' directly translates to 'lone wolf', but 'волк в овчарне' is not an equivalent English idiom.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing the 'l' (it is silent).
- Using 'wolf' as a general synonym for any wild dog.
Practice
Quiz
What does the idiom 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the 'l' is silent in standard pronunciations. It is pronounced /wʊlf/.
Wolves are generally larger, live and hunt in complex packs, and have a broader head. Coyotes are smaller, more adaptable to human environments, and often hunt alone or in simple family groups.
Rarely. 'Lone wolf' can be neutral or slightly positive for independence. However, most uses, especially figurative ones, imply danger, cruelty, or greed.
The standard plural is 'wolves'. An old, now non-standard plural is 'wolfes'.