Wolf

Wolf is a term in gay male culture describing a man who has body and facial hair like a bear but carries a leaner, more muscular, athletic frame. It sits between the bear and otter categories in the community's playful system of animal-based body types, which also includes cubs, jocks, and twinks. Wolves are often described as having a more assertive or aggressive sexual energy, which is part of how the label got its name. The word predates gay slang and only later attached to this specific look, reportedly gaining traction among gay men in the mid-1980s. Like the other animal types, it is a loose, self-chosen descriptor rather than a strict definition, and people use it to signal a vibe as much as a physique.