petunia

noun

pe·​tu·​nia pi-ˈtün-yə 

-ˈtyün-

: any of a genus (Petunia) of tropical South American herbs of the nightshade family that are commonly grown as annuals for their fragrant, colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers

Illustration of petunia

Examples of petunia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of these flowering plants include bee balms, columbine flowers, daylilies, lupines and petunias. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Some petunia varieties, such as Wave petunias and Supertunias, are self-cleaning and do not require deadheading to keep plants blooming. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 4 June 2025

Try some French marigolds, short snapdragon varieties, or begonias. Add a spiller, such as petunias or sweet potato vines, to cascade down the front of the pot. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2025

Beneath them sat colorful flats of impatiens, pansies, petunias and marigolds. —Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 23 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from obsolete French petun tobacco, from Tupi petɨ́ma

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for petunia

• dyspareunia

Kids Definition

petunia

noun

pe·​tu·​nia pi-ˈt(y)ün-yə 

: any of a genus of tropical South American herbs of the nightshade family widely grown for their showy funnel-shaped flowers