English Explanatory Dictionary

will o' the wisp

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of several kinds of pale, flickering light, appearing over marshland in many parts of the world with diverse folkloric explanations and multiple possible scientific explanations including bioluminescence and chemiluminescence.
  2. A flickering light or lantern, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes, held by a supernatural creature who uses it to lure travelers at night to their demise.
  3. A delusionary or otherwise unachievable goal that one feels compelled to pursue.

Pronunciation

/ˌwɪləðəˈwɪsp/ En-au-will o' the wisp.ogg

Word forms

will o' the wisp will o' the wisps will-o'-the-wisp will-o'-wisp will of the wisp will-in-the-wisp Will-with-the-wisp

Etymology

From Will (“male given name”) + of + the + wisp (“a bundle of straw or hay used as a torch”)

Synonyms

friar's lantern ghost light hinkypunk ignis fatuus jack-o'-lantern marsh light nightfire Spooklight walking fire

Related words

Min Min light

Translations

Afrikaans: dwaallig Arabic: الوَهْج المُسْتَنْقعيّ Arabic: النار الحمقاء Assamese: ধনগুলৈ Basque: sutxakurra Basque: argi-txakurra Basque: arima-argia Bengali: আলেয়া Central Bikol: santilmo Bulgarian: блуждаещият пламък Bulgarian: зловещо сияние Catalan: foc follet Chinese Mandarin: 鬼火 Czech: bludička Danish: lygtemand Dutch: dwaallicht Esperanto: vaglumo Esperanto: erarlumo Estonian: virvatuli Finnish: virvatuli Finnish: aarretuli Finnish: aarnituli Finnish: aarnivalkea French: feu follet Friulian: fûc voladi Galician: fogo fatuo Georgian: ცთომილი ალი Georgian: ცდომილი ალი Georgian: ცდომილი სინათლე Georgian: ცთომილი სინათლე Georgian: ცთომილი შუქი Georgian: ცდომილი შუქი German: Irrlicht German: Sumpflichter German: Irrwisch German: Sumpflicht Hebrew: אוֹר מַטְעֶה Hebrew: ויל־או׳־דה־ויספ Hebrew: ויל־או־ויס Hungarian: lidérc Hungarian: lidércfény Hungarian: bolygótűz Icelandic: hrævareldur Irish: tine ghealáin Italian: fuoco fatuo Japanese: 鬼火 Japanese: ウィルオウィスプ Japanese: ウィル・オー・ザ・ウィスプ Korean: 도깨비불 Korean: 윌오더위스프 Latin: ignis fatuus Latin: ignis erraticus Latvian: malduguns Lithuanian: žaltvykslė Lithuanian: pelkių ugnis Lombard: foeugh arz Lombard: fogazzoeu Lombard: foeugh senza foeugh Lombard: fiammei Lombard: fiamminn Lombard: fana Low German: Spöklicht Low German: Dodenlücht Malay: jerambang Māori: tūtutupo Māori: unahiroa Norman: bélengi Norman: veue d'aventuthe Norwegian: lyktemann Norwegian: irrlys Norwegian: vettelys Norwegian: alvelys Occitan: fuòc folet Pashto: اګیا بیتال Pashto: چیهلوا Persian: روشنایی مرداب Plautdietsch: Woselicht
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