Meaning & use
buck wild
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableinformalslang
Extremely wild, energetic or out of control, often in a fun and uninhibited way.
Grammar: Used after a verb like go or be, or before a noun: the crowd went buck wild.
Patterns
- go buck wild
- be buck wild
The crowd went buck wild when the band played its biggest hit.
Our cousins get buck wild at every family wedding.
The kids were buck wild after eating all that candy.
adverbnot comparableinformalslang
In an extremely wild or uncontrolled manner.
Grammar: Comes after a verb: they ran buck wild through the yard.
Patterns
- run buck wild
The puppies ran buck wild around the living room.
Prices went buck wild after the announcement.
Common combinations
- go buck wild
- Fans went buck wild when the team scored.
- run buck wild
- The toddlers ran buck wild through the garden.
- get buck wild
- We get buck wild on karaoke night.
- buck wild party
- It was a buck wild party that lasted until sunrise.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wild
- Wild is the plain everyday word; buck wild adds slang energy and exaggeration.
- unruly
- Unruly sounds more critical and describes people hard to control, while buck wild can be admiring.
- rowdy
- Rowdy suggests noisy, rough behavior in a group, whereas buck wild can also describe fun or surprising events.
- crazy
- Crazy is broader and less intense; buck wild stresses total loss of restraint.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: buck wild or buck wheat?
buck wild vs buck wheat
Buckwheat is a plant grown for its seeds and flour, and has nothing to do with wild behavior.
Practice
When the final whistle blew, the fans ___ and began jumping and shouting.
Choose one answer.
Went buck wild means became extremely excited and uncontrolled. The other choices describe quiet or tired behavior.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “buck wild”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.