Wallowing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To participate in the act of rolling or lying in a substance for pleasure or comfort while also immersing oneself in self-indulgent emotions or sensations
2. To engage in a recreational activity involving rolling in mud or water while simultaneously becoming engrossed in feelings of despair or excessive emotion
3. To engage in the act of rolling about in a substance for enjoyment or comfort while also becoming absorbed in intense emotional states or self-pity

Etymology: The verb "wallow" comes from Old English "wealwian," meaning "to roll," and it is related to Latin "volvere," "to roll or turn." The idea of rolling about is still there in the image of a pig tumbling in mud, though the word has moved far from its original sense of simply turning over. Some English speakers may have a second source in mind. Other sources trace "wallow" to an Old English "wealwian" meaning "to fade" or "wither," perhaps linked to "fealwian," "to grow pale." That older sense would link the word to dulling and decline rather than to rolling, and the two origins are not fully settled. The modern meaning, wallowing in self-pity or in a bad mood, combines physical immersion with a sense of sinking into something unpleasant.

Synonyms: reveling, indulging, immersing

Antonyms: abstaining, restraining, avoiding