peony

noun

pe·​o·​ny ˈpē-ə-nē 

plural peonies

1

: any of a genus (Paeonia of the family Paeoniaceae) of chiefly Eurasian plants with large often double flowers

2

: the flower of a peony

Examples of peony in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This Itoh peony features semi-double to double, pastel yellow flowers with a small rose-purple flare in the center. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 18 May 2026

Steve added that because the soil between plants wasn’t disturbed, very few weeds grew, and only four out of 1,000 peonies failed to emerge the following spring. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 15 May 2026

Use large white peony blooms to build the body of the arrangement and pair them with smaller flowers such as purple garden phlox and heliotrope for contrast and color. —Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Apr. 2026

For her ceremony in N.Y.C., the actress opted for pale green in the form of a flowing Carolina Herrera gown (which coordinated with wife Christine Marinoni's tie) and got her fix of bridal white with a bouquet of peonies. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English piony, from Anglo-French peonie, pioiné, from Latin paeonia, from Greek paiōnia, from Paiōn Paeon, physician of the gods

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing peony

• tree peony

Kids Definition

peony

noun

pe·​o·​ny ˈpē-ə-nē 

plural peonies

: any of a genus of plants that are widely grown for their large red, pink, or white flowers