wild child

plural wild children

1. informalA headstrong, rebellious young person.

   His son with the uncombed black hair is now fifteen and is known around Truro as "that wild child, Angel Martinez".

   2004, Heather McDonald, Pamela S Ward, An Almost Holy Picture

   4 more examples

   Then there was Ruby, who had been a wild child, willful, and determined to be everything her parents hated and feared.

   1992, Mercedes Lackey, The Lark and the Wren

   Paula was a wild child! She like to party and have fun, and it was quite obvious that she was looking for a man to party and have fun with her.

   1998, Iyanla Vanzant, In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want

   "I was a wild child," she said, sounding devilish, "never did get tamed. My mother thought I was incorrigible. She called me bad, beautiful, and selfish […]

   2005, Joan Anderson, A Walk on the Beach: Tales Of Wisdom From An Unconventional Woman

   [Katara (Mae Whitman):] Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough. If you keep doing them, something bad is gonna happen. [Toph (Jessie Flower):] Could you for once stop being such a sourpuss and just lighten up. [Katara:] Oh, I'm sorry, you think I should be more like you? Like some wild child?

   2007 November 2, Joshua Hamilton, “The Runaway” (8:24 from the start), in Giancarlo Volpe, director, Avatar: The Last Airbender, season 3 (Book Three: Fire), episode 7, spoken by Katara and Toph Beifong (Mae Whitman and Jessie Flower)

   Synonyms: enfant terrible