rainforest

noun

rain·​for·​est ˈrān-ˌfȯr-əst 

-ˌfär-

variants or less commonly rain forest

plural rainforests also rain forests

1

: a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters) and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy

called also tropical rainforest

2

: temperate rainforest

Examples of rainforest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Amazon rainforest spans much of northern South America and helps slow climate change by absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that warms the planet. — ABC News, 24 June 2026

Across the Amazon rainforest, cerrado savanna, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal wetland, Caatinga scrub and Pampa grassland, the country’s plant life seems less like one national inheritance than several botanical worlds sharing a border. — Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

Scientists recently discovered that this trap was the work of a spider from the rainforest of North Queensland. — Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Workers erected a stage in the middle of the rainforest. — John Otis, NPR, 21 June 2026

The new species was found in the jungles on Malaysia's part of Borneo, a large island known for its biodiverse rainforests. — CBS News, 19 June 2026

With its serene turquoise waters, emerald rivers and lush rainforests, the region has unsurprisingly become an epicenter of wellness tourism. — Sandra Guzmán, USA Today, 18 June 2026

Zoo officials said binturongs live in dense tropical and subtropical rainforests of South and Southeast Asia. — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026

The conservation, rehabilitation, and recreational hub is home to tropical animal species from the rainforest and aquatic attractions. — Valerie Fraser Luesse, Southern Living, 16 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rainforest

• temperate rainforest
• tropical rainforest

Rhymes for rainforest

• aorist
• deforest
• chorused
• forest
• sorest

Kids Definition

rain forest

noun

1

: an often tropical woodland with a high annual rainfall and very tall evergreen trees with tops forming a continuous layer

called also tropical rain forest

2

: temperate rain forest