Meanings
- Uncivilized, unmannered.
Were they raised by wolves? What exactly are you expecting them to do at your reception, dance on the tables?
2001, Kim Shaw, The New Book of Wedding Etiquette4 more examples
Do you think I was raised by wolves? Do I really seem that clueless to you?" He said nothing; nothing at all.
2001, Antoinette Stockenberg, Tidewater, page 60I thought that Carl was saying these negative things to me out of love, but then over time, the words he spoke grew more and more harsh by the day. He would ask me insulting things like, "were you raised by wolves?
2009, K. B. Whitaker, Fifty-Seven, page 11“Tell me, Drool, have you always known you were raised by wolves?” “Aye. I want to go outside and have a wee on a tree, now, Pocket. You want to come?” “No, you go, love, I'm going to stay here and shout at the old ladies."
2010, Christopher Moore, Fool, page 250However, he'd not been raised by wolves, and as he put the food down, he held his chair for the guest. “Care to join us?”
2011, Jo Leigh, Daddy 101Synonyms: born in a barn, raised in a barn
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseUncivilized, unmannered.
Cite this entry
raised by wolves. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raised%20by%20wolves
“raised by wolves.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raised%20by%20wolves. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “raised by wolves,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/raised%20by%20wolves.
Source: raised by wolves on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.