1
as in reveling
to completely give (oneself) over to something (such as an emotion)
After being laid off, he spent much of his time wallowing in self-pity. They wallowed in all the indulgences provided by the resort.
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2
as in shuffling
to roll around in an ungainly manner
We saw a herd of cattle wallowing in the marsh.
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Recent Examples of wallowing
The Bucks, meanwhile, are wallowing with the seventh-worst record in the NBA.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of reliving moments at the Plaza Sundae from Home Alone 2 or wallowing in Churchill-era glamour at London’s Savoy Hotel.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead of wallowing, instead of giving up, this Hurricanes team finally learned how to finish a season.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Breakups can be agonizing, even immobilizing; sometimes, wallowing is the ideal way forward.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, instead of wallowing in unrequited love, the story satirizes academia and the obsession of Western literature and philosophy with hell in a really fun way.
—Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025
But there’s no sense in wallowing in pro sports.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Reeves is a cranky, deadpanning Estragon, wallowing in frustration as his gangly limbs swing, unwillingly turning to his friend but also welcoming the help, the hugs.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Instead of wallowing in her misery, the movie accompanies her, like best friend Christina (Denise Gough), who checks in regularly with unconditional support.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of reliving moments at the Plaza Sundae from Home Alone 2 or wallowing in Churchill-era glamour at London’s Savoy Hotel.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Instead of wallowing, instead of giving up, this Hurricanes team finally learned how to finish a season.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Jan. 2026
Breakups can be agonizing, even immobilizing; sometimes, wallowing is the ideal way forward.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Thankfully, instead of wallowing in unrequited love, the story satirizes academia and the obsession of Western literature and philosophy with hell in a really fun way.
—Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025
But there’s no sense in wallowing in pro sports.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Reeves is a cranky, deadpanning Estragon, wallowing in frustration as his gangly limbs swing, unwillingly turning to his friend but also welcoming the help, the hugs.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Instead of wallowing in her misery, the movie accompanies her, like best friend Christina (Denise Gough), who checks in regularly with unconditional support.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 2 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wallowing
Verb
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Bridgerton treats it as though every woman got multiples of their yearbook photo to hand around as headshots, and Benedict’s taking what would have been treasured personal heirlooms and just shuffling through them and tossing out anyone with the wrong hair color.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
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Silvia showed them little affection or attention, shuffling quickly through the infants to feed, change, or hold them.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Valentine’s Day is all about indulging your senses, especially your sense of smell.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
3 Feb. 2026
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By indulging his endless, self-destructive reserves of contempt, Doug chances upon a truth, not unlike what Oliver Stone did with JFK.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The budding photographer started bringing a camera with him on his underwater adventures to document his dives, with imagery posted on social media sharing sea species such as leopard sharks and swaying kelp forests that dance with the ebb of the ocean.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
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Imagine swaying to Latin rhythms, a taco in one hand, your partner’s hand in the other.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Kennamer said that Tuesday, after some sunny days, iguanas were waking up, basking and not compliant.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Velez and Rivera are still basking in a historic night for the artist at the Grammys.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Bear, struggling with drug addiction, had no one urging her to fight the state’s case.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
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He’s trapped in rolling crises of his own making and is struggling to sell voters on the idea of a strong American economy.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wallowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wallowing. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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