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

Aquamar even offers Wellness Discovery Tours, excursions such as practicing qigong in an Australian rainforest village. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Travel experts recommend Washington for an autumn escape filled with golden larches, apple picking, wine tasting, misty rainforests, and charming mountain towns. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2026

The search for silence Hotel luxury isn’t just about rainforest showers and comfy beds. — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Since industrial logging began more than a century ago, most of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forests — those capable of growing the large trees characteristic of the island’s rainforests — have been cut. — Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 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