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a wild card

an unpredictable factor

In Headline Expressions

In more detail

1. (noun) a playing card that can be used as any card the player chooses

2. (noun) a person or thing whose actions or behavior cannot be predicted

3. (idiom) something or someone that could have an unexpected effect on a situation

Examples

• 1. In poker, the joker is often used as a wild card.
• 2. The new player on the team is a wild card—we don't know how good he really is.
• 3. The celebrity guest appearance was a wild card that nobody expected in the election campaign.

How to use a wild card

Wild card is used to describe unpredictable people, things, or factors that could significantly influence an outcome or situation in ways that are hard to anticipate. In card games, it refers to a card with flexible value; in broader contexts, it's a metaphor for anyone or anything whose behavior or impact is uncertain. The term carries a sense of potential but uncontrollable influence.

Common phrases

• a wild card in the election
• play a wild card
• draw a wild card
• wild card entry
• wild card candidate

Synonyms

unknown quantity · unpredictable element · loose cannon · x factor · variable

Opposites

certainty · predictable element · known quantity

Word family

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use wild card as an adjective when it should remain a noun, saying 'a wild card factor' instead of the more idiomatic 'an unpredictable factor' or simply 'a wild card'.

Nearby in Headline Expressions

a red line, a smoking gun, a seat at the table, dead in the water, an uphill battle, the buck stops here

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained