Rolling around in mud, water, or dirt for pleasure or comfort, or metaphorically indulging deeply in an emotion or situation.
From Old English 'wealwian' meaning to roll, related to 'wall' in the sense of turning. The meaning shifted from physical rolling to emotional indulgence by the 1500s.
Pigs wallow in mud not because they're dirty—it's their natural sunscreen and insect repellent! When we use 'wallowing' for emotions like 'wallowing in sadness,' we're comparing emotional dwelling to that same deep, immersive comfort.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.