Wild vs. Passionate — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 25, 2024
"Wild" implies a lack of restraint or control, often associated with nature or behavior, while "passionate" describes intense emotions or enthusiasm, typically towards activities, interests, or people.
Difference Between Wild and Passionate
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Wild often connotes something untamed, uncontrolled, and natural, such as a wild animal or wilderness. On the other hand, passionate refers to a deep, fervent enthusiasm or desire, usually directed towards a specific activity, hobby, or person.
When describing behavior, "wild" suggests actions that are unpredictable, unrestrained, or chaotic. Whereas, "passionate" behavior is characterized by a powerful, compelling emotion or commitment to a cause, often seen as positive and purposeful.
In the context of emotions, wild emotions are those that are seen as overwhelming and perhaps destructive, like wild anger or joy. In contrast, passionate emotions are intense but generally have a more focused and productive quality, such as passionate love or dedication.
The term "wild" can also imply a primitive or natural state, free from human influence, like a wild forest. Passionate, however, is typically used to describe human feelings and actions that are deeply engaged and enthusiastic, like a passionate speech or a passionate artist.
In cultural expressions, "wild" is often used to describe parties, lifestyles, or even fashion that are extravagant, bold, or unconventional. Meanwhile, "passionate" is used to describe deep involvement in arts, politics, or other fields, suggesting a depth of feeling and vigorous pursuit of interests.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Uncontrolled, untamed
Having or showing strong emotions or beliefs
Typical Usage
Nature, behavior
Emotions, activities
Connotation
Often chaotic, free
Intense, focused, deep
Emotional Quality
Overwhelming, possibly destructive
Constructive, deeply engaging
Contexts of Appearance
Natural settings, unruly behavior
Arts, love, careers
Compare with Definitions
Wild
Untamed and natural.
The wild landscape stretched endlessly under the open sky.
Passionate
Deeply committed or involved.
His passionate speech inspired many.
Wild
Primitive or uncultivated.
They explored the wild parts of the forest, untouched by humans.
Passionate
Showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief.
She was passionate about environmental conservation.
Wild
Exuberant or enthusiastic in an uncontrolled manner.
The crowd’s wild cheers filled the stadium.
Passionate
Characterized by intense desire or attraction.
They shared a passionate romance.
Wild
Unconventional or chaotic.
His wild ideas often left the team baffled.
Passionate
Intense, enthusiastic devotion.
He is passionate about classical music.
Wild
Lacking restraint or control.
The party turned wild after midnight.
Passionate
Easily angered or capable of displaying strong emotions.
Her passionate temper sometimes got her into trouble.
Wild
(of an animal or plant) living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated
Wild strawberries
A herd of wild goats
Passionate
Having, showing, or caused by strong feelings or beliefs
He's passionate about football
Passionate pleas for help
Wild
(of a place or region) uninhabited, uncultivated, or inhospitable
The wild coastline of Cape Wrath
An expanse of wild moorland
Passionate
Capable of, having, or dominated by powerful emotions
A family of passionate personalities.
Wild
Lacking discipline or restraint
Wild parties were never her scene
Passionate
Wrathful by temperament; choleric.
Wild
Not based on sound reasoning or probability
A wild guess
Wild rumours were circulating
Performing in Hollywood was beyond my wildest dreams
Who, even in their wildest dreams, could have anticipated such a victory?
Passionate
Showing or expressing strong emotion; ardent
A passionate speech against injustice.
Wild
(of a playing card) deemed to have any value, suit, colour, or other property in a game at the discretion of the player holding it.
Passionate
Arising from or marked by passion
A teacher who is passionate about her subject.
Wild
A natural state or uncultivated or uninhabited region
Kiwis are virtually extinct in the wild
Passionate
Fired with intense feeling.
Wild
Treat (a person or animal) harshly, so that they become untrusting or nervous
Let your pigeon fly for a while: we don't want to wild him
Passionate
(obsolete) Suffering; sorrowful.
Wild
Occurring, growing, or living in a natural state; not domesticated, cultivated, or tamed
Wild geese.
Edible wild plants.
Passionate
A passionate individual.
Wild
Not inhabited or farmed
Remote, wild country.
Passionate
(obsolete) To fill with passion, or with another given emotion.
Wild
Uncivilized or barbarous.
Passionate
(obsolete) To express with great emotion.
Wild
Lacking supervision or restraint
Wild children living in the street.
Passionate
Capable or susceptible of passion, or of different passions; easily moved, excited or agitated; specifically, easily moved to anger; irascible; quick-tempered; as, a passionate nature.
Homer's Achilles is haughty and passionate.
Wild
Disorderly; unruly
A wild scene in the school cafeteria.
Passionate
Characterized by passion; expressing passion; ardent in feeling or desire; vehement; warm; as, a passionate friendship.
Wild
Characterized by a lack of moral restraint; dissolute or licentious
Recalled his wild youth with remorse.
Passionate
Suffering; sorrowful.
Wild
Lacking regular order or arrangement; disarranged
Wild locks of long hair.
Passionate
To affect with passion; to impassion.
Great pleasure, mixed with pitiful regard,The godly king and queen did passionate.
Wild
Full of, marked by, or suggestive of strong, uncontrolled emotion
Wild with jealousy.
A wild look in his eye.
A wild rage.
Passionate
To express feelingly or sorrowfully.
Wild
Extravagant; fantastic
A wild idea.
Passionate
Having or expressing strong emotions
Wild
Furiously disturbed or turbulent; stormy
Wild weather.
Wild
Risky; imprudent
Wild financial schemes.
Wild
Impatiently eager
Wild to get away for the weekend.
Wild
(Informal) Highly enthusiastic
Just wild about the new music.
Wild
Based on little or no evidence or probability; unfounded
Wild accusations.
A wild guess.
Wild
Deviating greatly from an intended course; erratic
A wild bullet.
Wild
(Games) Having an equivalence or value determined by the cardholder's choice
Playing poker with deuces wild.
Wild
In a wild manner
Growing wild.
Roaming wild.
Wild
A natural or undomesticated state
Returned the zoo animals to the wild.
Plants that grow abundantly in the wild.
Wild
Often wilds A region that is mostly uninhabited or uncultivated
The wilds of the northern steppes.
Wild
To go about in a group threatening, robbing, or attacking others.
Wild
; not domesticated; specifically, in an unbroken line of undomesticated animals (as opposed to feral, referring to undomesticated animals whose ancestors were domesticated).
Przewalski's horses are the only remaining wild horses.
Wild
From or relating to wild creatures.
Wild honey
Wild
Unrestrained or uninhibited.
I was filled with wild rage when I discovered the infidelity, and punched a hole in the wall.
Wild
, unruly, or licentious.
The fraternity was infamous for its wild parties, which frequently resulted in police involvement.
Wild
(electrical engineering) Of unregulated and varying frequency.
The aircraft's navigational equipment should not be powered from the wild AC bus except in an emergency, as its computers can be damaged by variations in electrical frequency.
Wild
Visibly and overtly anxious; frantic.
Her mother was wild with fear when she didn't return home after the party.
Wild
; very angry.
Wild
, tangled, or untidy.
After a week on the trail without a mirror, my hair was wild and dirty.
Wild
Very inaccurate; far off the mark.
The novice archer fired a wild shot and hit her opponent's target.
Wild
To the wind and sea; unsheltered.
A wild roadstead
Wild
To steer.
Wild
Not capable of being represented as a finite closed polygonal chain.
Wild
(slang) Amazing, awesome, unbelievable.
Did you hear? Pat won the lottery! — Wow, that's wild!
Wild
Able to stand in for others, e.g. a card in games, or a text character in computer pattern matching.
In this card game, aces are wild: they can take the place of any other card.
Wild
Of an audio recording: intended to be synchronized with film or video but recorded separately.
A wild track; wild sound
Wild
Inaccurately; not on target.
The javelin flew wild and struck a spectator, to the horror of all observing.
Wild
(of an audio recording) Intended to be synchronized with film or video but recorded separately.
Let's record it wild.
Wild
The undomesticated state of a wild animal.
After mending the lion's leg, we returned him to the wild.
Wild
A wilderness.
Wild
To commit random acts of assault, robbery, and rape in an urban setting, especially as a gang.
Wild
(In the form wilding or wildin') To act in a strange or unexpected way.
Wild
Living in a state of nature; inhabiting natural haunts, as the forest or open field; not familiar with, or not easily approached by, man; not tamed or domesticated; as, a wild boar; a wild ox; a wild cat.
Winter's not gone yet, if the wild geese fly that way.
Wild
Growing or produced without culture; growing or prepared without the aid and care of man; native; not cultivated; brought forth by unassisted nature or by animals not domesticated; as, wild parsnip, wild camomile, wild strawberry, wild honey.
The woods and desert caves,With wild thyme and gadding vine o'ergrown.
Wild
Desert; not inhabited or cultivated; as, wild land.
Wild
Savage; uncivilized; not refined by culture; ferocious; rude; as, wild natives of Africa or America.
Wild
Not submitted to restraint, training, or regulation; turbulent; tempestuous; violent; ungoverned; licentious; inordinate; disorderly; irregular; fanciful; imaginary; visionary; crazy.
What are theseSo withered and so wild in their attire ?
With mountains, as with weapons, armed; which makesWild work in heaven.
The wild winds howl.
Search then the ruling passion, there, aloneThe wild are constant, and the cunning known.
Wild
Exposed to the wind and sea; unsheltered; as, a wild roadstead.
Wild
Indicating strong emotion, intense excitement, or ewilderment; as, a wild look.
Wild
Hard to steer; - said of a vessel.
Wild
An uninhabited and uncultivated tract or region; a forest or desert; a wilderness; a waste; as, the wilds of America; the wilds of Africa.
Then Libya first, of all her moisture drained,Became a barren waste, a wild of sand.
Wild
Wildly; as, to talk wild.
Wild
A wild primitive state untouched by civilization;
He lived in the wild
Wild
A wild and uninhabited area
Wild
Marked by extreme lack of restraint or control;
Wild ideas
Wild talk
Wild originality
Wild parties
Wild
In a natural state; not tamed or domesticated or cultivated;
Wild geese
Edible wild plants
Wild
In a state of extreme emotion;
Wild with anger
Wild with grief
Wild
Deviating widely from an intended course;
A wild bullet
A wild pitch
Wild
(of colors or sounds) intensely vivid or loud;
A violent clash of colors
Her dress was a violent red
A violent noise
Wild colors
Wild shouts
Wild
Not subjected to control or restraint;
A piano played with a wild exuberance
Wild
Talking or behaving irrationally;
A raving lunatic
Wild
Produced without being planted or without human labor;
Wild strawberries
Wild
Located in a dismal or remote area; desolate;
A desert island
A godforsaken wilderness crossroads
A wild stretch of land
Waste places
Wild
Without civilizing influences;
Barbarian invaders
Barbaric practices
A savage people
Fighting is crude and uncivilized especially if the weapons are efficient
Wild tribes
Wild
(of the elements) as if showing violent anger;
Angry clouds on the horizon
Furious winds
The raging sea
Wild
In an uncontrolled and rampant manner;
Weeds grew rampantly around here
Wild
In a wild or undomesticated manner;
Growing wild
Roaming wild
Common Curiosities
Is being wild generally viewed as positive or negative?
Being wild can have both positive connotations (freedom, nature) and negative ones (chaos, lack of control), depending on the context.
What does it mean to describe someone as wild?
Describing someone as wild typically means they are unrestrained, unpredictable, or free-spirited.
Can a person be both wild and passionate?
Yes, a person can exhibit both qualities, being unrestrained and intensely enthusiastic at the same time.
What does passionate mean in a personal context?
In a personal context, passionate means showing profound, intense emotions or dedication towards someone or something.
How is passion typically expressed in arts?
In the arts, passion is expressed through intense, emotionally charged performances, artworks, or music that convey deep feelings.
Are wild behaviors always spontaneous?
Wild behaviors often have a spontaneous quality, as they lack restraint and premeditation.
How does passion manifest in professional settings?
In professional settings, passion is seen as a deep commitment and enthusiasm towards one’s work or goals, often leading to high achievement and fulfillment.
How do wild and passionate personalities differ in relationships?
In relationships, wild personalities might focus on adventure and spontaneity, while passionate personalities might focus on depth of emotion and dedication.
What are typical symbols of wildness in culture?
Typical symbols include untamed animals, rugged landscapes, and tumultuous weather.
Can passion be learned or is it innate?
Passion can be both innate and cultivated over time through deep engagement and personal connection with an activity or cause.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
