Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One who is absorbed by worldly pursuits and pleasures.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun One who is worldly; one devoted to the affairs and interests of this life.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- A person whose soul is set upon gaining temporal possessions; one devoted to this world and its enjoyments.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun a
mundane person, preoccupied withworldly matters rather thenspiritual affairs
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an inhabitant of the earth
- noun a person absorbed by the concerns and interests and pleasures of the present world
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word worldling.
Examples
-
Wealth to a worldling is like drink to one in a dropsy, which does but increase the thirst.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon) 1721
-
The harvest which the worldling is proud of the hungry eat up
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume IV (Isaiah to Malachi) 1721
-
But they should understand their relation to the impenitent worldling, which is precisely that of a physician without a mandate from the patient, who may not be convinced that there is very much the matter with him.
The Shadow On The Dial, and Other Essays 1909 Ambrose Bierce 1878
-
He had that saving wisdom of the worldling, which is too often estimated beyond its worth, called cunning; and the frequent successes of which produces that worst of all the diseases that ever impaired the value of true greatness -- conceit.
Charlemont; Or, the Pride of the Village. a Tale of Kentucky William Gilmore Simms 1838
-
This covetous worldling, that is so bent upon raising an estate, all his days eats in darkness and much sorrow, and it is his sickness and wrath; he has not only no pleasure of his estate, nor any enjoyment of it himself, for he eats the bread of sorrow (Ps.cxxvii. 2), but a great deal of vexation to see others eat of it.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon) 1721
-
She stopped with an idle laugh, waiting for an ironical reply from the "worldling" at her feet; but he remained silent, still looking upward at the clear deep blue.
Lodusky 1995
-
"worldling" at her feet; but he remained silent, still looking upward at the clear, deep blue.
Lodusky Frances Hodgson Burnett 1886
-
You are a philosopher, and do not value the opinion of the public — a poor worldling like me is desirous to stand fair with it. —
Saint Ronan's Well 2008
-
What should she do with these that are the adornments of the world and the ornament of the worldling, seeing that one garment of cotton would suffice for her covering?
-
They're dead but hey, dangerous guys are pretty dead to the world too, being rebels and above the rules of the typical worldling.
Ten Reasons Why Vampires Aren't Sexy (For Me) Tia Nevitt 2008
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.