wolfish

See also: wolffish

English

Alternative forms

• wolvish

Etymology

wolf +‎ -ish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwʊlfiʃ/, /ˈwʊlviʃ/
• Homophone: Woolfish

Adjective

wolfish (comparative more wolfish, superlative most wolfish)

1. Pertaining to wolves.
2. Having the characteristics or habits of a wolf.

   a wolfish appetite

   • 1820, Walter Scott, chapter I, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:

     “[…] Here, Fangs! Fangs!” he ejaculated at the top of his voice to a ragged wolfish-looking dog […]

   • 1903 July, Jack London, “The Law of Club and Fang”, in The Call of the Wild, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 44:

     He had never seen dogs fight as these wolfish creatures fought, and his first experience taught him an unforgetable lesson. It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it.

3. Fierce; menacing; savage.

Synonyms

• (pertaining to wolves): lupine
• (having the characteristics of a wolf): lupine, wolfy, wolflike

Translations

pertaining to wolves

• Finnish: suden- (fi)
• French: lupin (fr) (rare)
• Russian: во́лчий (ru) (vólčij)
• Ukrainian: во́вчий m (vóvčyj)

having the characteristics or habits of a wolf

• Finnish: suden- (fi)
• French: de loup
• Polish: wilczy (pl)
• Russian: во́лчий (ru) (vólčij)

fierce, menacing, savage

• Finnish: petomainen (fi)

Anagrams

• fish owl, fowlish