forsythia

noun

for·​syth·​ia fər-ˈsi-thē-ə 

chiefly British -ˈsī-

plural forsythias also forsythia

: any of a genus (Forsythia) of ornamental shrubs of the olive family with opposite leaves and yellow bell-shaped flowers appearing before the leaves in early spring

Illustration of forsythia

Examples of forsythia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There is forsythia growing on a rocky hill at our easternmost bit of land, and more forsythia down the hill some 300 yards west. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

The bright yellow blooms of forsythias are one of the earliest pops of color in the garden. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 25 June 2026

This dwarf forsythia produces abundant yellow flowers from base to tip on its 3-foot-tall frame, ensuring more blooms than stems and requiring only light annual pruning. — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2026

Spring flowering trees and shrubs (azaleas, dogwoods, forsythia, oakleaf hydrangeas) should be pruned shortly after flowering is over. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from William Forsyth †1804 British botanist

First Known Use

circa 1814, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for forsythia

• lithia

Kids Definition

forsythia

noun

for·​syth·​ia fər-ˈsith-ē-ə 

plural forsythias also forsythia

: any of a genus of shrubs related to the olive and having yellow bell-shaped flowers appearing before the leaves in early spring