SINCE 1828
for·est
| \ ˈfȯr-əst
, ˈfär-\
, ˈfär-\
Definition of forest
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large tract
A fire destroyed acres of forest. forests of pine and mahogany
2
: a tract of wooded land in England formerly owned by the sovereign and used for game
3
: something resembling a forest especially in profusion or lushness
a forest of microphones a kelp forest a forest of skyscrapers
forest
verb
forested;
foresting;
forests
Definition of forest (Entry 2 of 2)
: to cover with trees or forest
land densely forested with firs
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Other Words from forest
Noun
forestal
\ ˈfȯr-ə-stᵊl
, ˈfär- \
or forestial \ fə-ˈre-stē-əl
, fȯ- , -ˈres-chəl , -ˈresh- \
adjective
, ˈfär- \
or forestial \ fə-ˈre-stē-əl
, fȯ- , -ˈres-chəl , -ˈresh- \
adjective
forested
\ ˈfȯr-ə-stəd
, ˈfär- \
adjective
, ˈfär- \
adjective
Verb
forestation
\ ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən
, ˌfär- \
noun
, ˌfär- \
noun
Synonyms for forest
Synonyms: Noun
forestland, timber, timberland, wood(s), woodland
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Examples of forest in a Sentence
Noun
Fires destroyed acres of forest. the endless forest that the first European settlers encounteredRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
Some areas where homes are close to parks or forests, such as Aberdeen in Hong Kong Island’s south, have become popular spots for growing numbers of boars to forage for food amid the garbage cans. — Alice Fung, The Seattle Times, "In year of the pig, Hong Kong has had enough of wild ones," 6 Feb. 2019 The focus shifts repeatedly between a Mohawk camp, a search through hundreds of miles of forest, the plantation River Run, and the port city of Wilmington. — Outlander Fan, Marie Claire, "5 Biggest Takeaways From 'Outlander' Season 4 Episode 11," 14 Jan. 2019 Length: 70 miles | Region: Midwest This byway traces the southern shoreline of Lake Superior, with various parts of the route winding through dense forests, quiet beaches, and the majestic lake itself. — Juliet Izon, Woman's Day, "The 12 Most Scenic Drives in the Country to Add to Your Bucket List ASAP," 4 Dec. 2018 Israel has been battling large fires caused by kites and balloons rigged with incendiary devices or burning rags launched from Gaza that have destroyed forests, burned crops and killed wildlife and livestock. — Samuel Chamberlain, Fox News, "Israeli jets strike Gaza terror targets after Hamas launches dozens of rockets," 2 Oct. 2018 Emissions from the fires were contributing to global warming, it was feared, and the harvesting of wood for cooking was helping to diminish forests, one of nature’s carbon-absorbing bulwarks against greenhouse gases. — Sara Morrison, USA TODAY, "In developing world, an expensive push to reduce cooking fire deaths falls short," 13 July 2018 The sanctuary consists of 1,700 acres of open water, tidal freshwater marshes, forested wetlands, upland and riparian forest, creeks, meadows, pine and sand barrens, and fields along the Patuxent River. — Janene Holzberg, baltimoresun.com, "Jug Bay set to unveil trails, Nature Discovery Place at new Waysons Corner preserve," 4 July 2018 People go out for picnics to celebrate on the grass, in the nature, in the forest, near the spring water. — Roger Catlin, Smithsonian, "The Point of Armenia’s Splashy Holiday is Getting Wet," 3 July 2018 Controlled burns are used as a tool to manage forests, which includes burning away underbrush to lessen the danger of future wildfires. — Gary Fineout, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida officials say controlled burn sparked fire that destroyed 36 homes," 27 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
One can now forest bathe everywhere from Lapland to Central Park. — Nina Sovich, WSJ, "The New Outdoor Getaway: Landscapes That Have Been ‘Rewilded’," 20 Sep. 2018 Over the years there have been tensions between the Gujjars and Hindus in the region over land use and the right to forest resources. — Kamakshi Ayyar, Time, "The Men Accused of Raping and Murdering an Eight-Year-Old Girl in India Are Standing Trial. Here’s What to Know," 27 Apr. 2018 Nearly all of the land is forested, except for a small portion farmed by the Grimmel family, according to the Stevensons’ application. — David Anderson, The Aegis, "Harford council approves 22 properties for ag preservation," 25 June 2018 The District reports success: Its analysis of 2016 data found that 38.7 percent of the city’s land area was forested, up from 35.1 percent in 2006. — Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, "D.C. says its tree canopy is growing. Federal researchers disagree.," 10 June 2018 But this would mean foresting an area with a size somewhere between that of India and Canada. — The Economist, "Extracting carbon dioxide from the air is possible. But at what cost?," 7 June 2018 As the rest of the world gets busier and noisier, a wild place crackling with glacier ice, mewing with baby otters and forested with twisted hemlocks and ancient cedar trees takes on significant new meaning. — Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, "In ‘A Wild Promise,’ a wilderness area in limbo and a book with a mission," 19 May 2018 The river side is forested with cottonwoods, black walnut, willow, valley oak and sycamore trees. — Al Pierleoni, sacbee, "Where to go for fun and food along Sacramento's Garden Highway | The Sacramento Bee," 18 May 2018 The early humans living in these caves would have forested for berries and hunted smaller animals like monkeys and small deer. — Nick Whigham, Fox News, "Archaeologists uncover stunning find to help shed light on the dawn of mankind," 10 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for forest
forest
noun
English Language Learners Definition of forest
: a thick growth of trees and bushes that covers a large area
See the full definition for forest in the English Language Learners Dictionary
forest
noun
for·est
| \ ˈfȯr-əst
\
\
Kids Definition of forest
: a growth of trees and underbrush covering a large area
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Comments on forest
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