wolfish

/ˈwʊlfiʃ/

//ˈwʊlfiʃ// adj

"wolfish" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wolfish” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, like, or pertaining to a wolf.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wolfish · wolfish · English

wolfish · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "W" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for wolfish
PropertyValue
Headwordwolfish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwʊlfiʃ/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “wolfish” in English

wolfishfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

wolfish is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈwʊlfiʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

wolfish has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From wolf + -ish. The correct English form is wolfish, spelled W-O-L-F-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, like, or pertaining to a wolf.
  2. 2
    Of, like, or pertaining to a wolf.
  3. 3
    Fierce; menacing; savage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how wolfish appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

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

Etymology

From wolf + -ish.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "wolfish"?
"wolfish" is spelled W-O-L-F-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwʊlfiʃ/.
What does "wolfish" mean?
As an adjective, "wolfish" means: Of, like, or pertaining to a wolf.
How do you pronounce "wolfish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wolfish" is /ˈwʊlfiʃ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "wolfish"?
From wolf + -ish. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list