in the wilderness

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiomfigurative

   No longer holding power, influence or public attention, especially after a fall from a position of importance.

   Grammar: Used after 'be', 'spend' or 'return from': he spent years in the wilderness.

   Patterns

   • be in the wilderness
   • spend years in the wilderness
   • come back from the wilderness

   After losing the election, the former minister spent a decade in the wilderness.

   The band was in the wilderness for years before a surprise hit revived its career.

   Reformers in the party felt they were in the wilderness under the new leader.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   Located in a remote, wild natural area far from towns and ordinary life.

   Grammar: Literal use: describes where someone is or lives.

   Patterns

   • lost in the wilderness
   • camp in the wilderness

   The hikers were lost in the wilderness for two days.

   He built a small cabin in the wilderness of northern Canada.

   Survival skills matter when you travel in the wilderness.

Common combinations

years in the wilderness

The coach returned after three years in the wilderness.

cast into the wilderness

The whistleblower felt cast into the wilderness by his old colleagues.

return from the wilderness

The singer returned from the wilderness with a new album.

lost in the wilderness

Two campers were found after being lost in the wilderness.

a voice in the wilderness

For years she was a voice in the wilderness, warning about the risk.

Synonyms and how they differ

out in the cold

This idiom suggests being deliberately excluded from a group, while 'in the wilderness' stresses a long period without influence.

sidelined

Sidelined is a plain adjective that says someone has been pushed aside, but it lacks the sense of a long, lonely stretch of time.

out of favour

It describes disapproval from others, whereas 'in the wilderness' describes the resulting loss of power or visibility.

Opposites

Word family

wild adjective

living or growing in nature, not controlled by people

wilderness noun

a large area of untouched natural land

bewilder verb

to confuse completely; historically related to being lost in wild places

Commonly confused: in the wilderness or in the wild?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “in the wilderness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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