forest

1 of 3

noun (1)

for·​est ˈfȯr-əst 

ˈfär-

often attributive

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

forestal

ˈfȯr-ə-stᵊl 

ˈfär-

adjective

or forestial

fə-ˈre-stē-əl 

fȯ-, 

-ˈres-chəl, 

-ˈresh-

forested

ˈfȯr-ə-stəd 

ˈfär-

adjective

forest

2 of 3

verb

forested; foresting; forests

transitive verb

: to cover with trees or forest

land densely forested with firs

forestation

ˌfȯr-ə-ˈstā-shən 

ˌfär-

noun

forestation

3 of 3

noun (2)

for·​est·​a·​tion ˌfȯrə̇ˈstāshən 

ˌfär-

plural -s

: the establishment of a forest

Synonyms of forest

Noun (1)

• woodland
• wood(s)
• forestland

Examples of forest in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Fires destroyed acres of forest.

the endless forest that the first European settlers encountered

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Set the scene Leave the posh promenade of San Sebastián’s and wind up the narrow mountain path to Hotel Luze, letting the shade of Igeldo’s lush green forests dapple your windscreen. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

The blaze raged through pine forests and scrubland through the weekend, whipped by gale force winds that often prevented water-dropping planes from operating. — ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

Verb

Authorities kept the affluent, forested Cap Ferret peninsula mostly empty because a nearby hot spot could flare again, threatening its limited road access and trapping residents and tourists. — Thomas Adamson, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026

At the root of the problem is how heavily forested Bordeaux is. — Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1), Verb, and Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin forestis (silva) unenclosed (woodland), from Latin foris outside

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1828, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing forest

• cloud forest
• forest bathing
• forest floor
• forest green
• forest ranger
• forest tent caterpillar
• gallery forest
• miss the forest for the trees
• national forest
• not see the forest for the trees
• rain forest
• temperate rain forest
• tropical rain forest

Rhymes for forest

• chorused
• sorest
• aorist
• deforest
• rainforest

Kids Definition

forest

noun

for·​est

ˈfȯr-əst, 

ˈfär-

: a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large area