rainforest

noun

rain·​for·​est ˈrān-ˌfȯr-əst How to pronounce rainforest (audio)
-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

Examples of rainforest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There is a sliver of hope: The rainforests that currently carpet the tropics may be more resilient to high temperatures than those that existed before the Great Dying. Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 2 July 2025 The river and its tributaries appear clearly against a rich green background representing unbroken rainforest. Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 23 June 2025 But perhaps the most popular destination in the park is the Hoh Rain Forest—one of four rainforests in the state—a mossy, temperate ecosystem home to Sitka spruce, black bears, river otters, and the endangered northern spotted owl. Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 11 June 2025 Traditional evaporators don’t work well in wet weather, but this new material stands up much better to wetting and drying, just like the rainforest birds that inspired it. Ian Rose, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2025 With their lush rainforests, soaring mountains, and aqua-blue water, the remote islands are a dream destination for millions of people each year. Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 20 June 2025 So about three years ago, Ker & Downey began organizing adventure tours to Guyana’s rainforests, savannas, and mountains. Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 16 June 2025 Each well is a habitat where bacterial species collected from MIT’s campus learn to live together and form an ecological network; think of each one as an analogue of an artificial gut, coral reef or rainforest. Gabriel Popkin, Quanta Magazine, 16 June 2025 Indonesia shares with Papua New Guinea the largest rainforest in Asia and the third-largest in the world. Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 10 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rainforest was in 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rainforest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainforest. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on rainforest

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