What does wolfed mean?
Wolfed is chiefly the simple past tense and past participle of the verb wolf. In its best-known modern use, it describes eating with greedy speed: a person may wolf down a meal, and the past form is “the children wolfed down the pizza.” Wolfed can also report hunting wolves or attacking savagely, reflecting the more aggressive range of the verb. The form is used in both British and American English, though it is most natural when the predatory sense is figurative, especially with the particle down. Less commonly, wolfed functions as an adjective meaning wolf-like or rapacious; this use has a literary rather than ordinary contemporary force. The word belongs to the familiar family wolf, wolves, and wolfing. Its compactness can make it easy to overlook, but in a sentence it conveys not merely eating, but eating impatiently, voraciously, and with little regard for manners. That combination of speed and appetite is why wolfed down has become particularly vivid in informal English.
The simple past tense and past participle of wolf: to hunt wolves, attack savagely, or eat food greedily.
"They wolfed down sandwiches as soon as they reached the cabin."
The verb form is especially common with down in informal English.
Wolf-like or rapacious, especially in the sense of appearing fierce or predatory.
"His wolfed stare made the stranger step back."
This adjective use is uncommon and chiefly literary.
In wolfed, the final f of wolf disappears before the regular -ed ending, turning a dangerous animal into a famously ravenous appetite.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wolfed come from?
Wolfed derives from wolf, which comes from Old English wulf. Old English wulf belongs to the Germanic family of forms represented by German Wolf, Dutch wolf, and Old Norse ulfr, all referring to the same animal. The modern word uses the regular English past-tense and participial ending -ed, while its meanings extend metaphorically from hunting wolves to attacking or eating voraciously.
Related word forms
How wolfed is actually used
Wolfed is most natural as the past tense or past participle of wolf down, meaning to eat greedily. The independent adjective sense is uncommon and has a literary quality.
Easily confused with wolfed
Wolfed is a past-tense verb form meaning to hunt wolves or eat voraciously, whereas walled means enclosed or fitted with walls.