vegetate

verb

veg·​e·​tate ˈve-jə-ˌtāt 

vegetated; vegetating

intransitive verb

1

: to lead a passive existence without exertion of body or mind

2

a

: to grow in the manner of a plant

also : to grow exuberantly or with proliferation of fleshy or warty outgrowths

b

: to produce vegetation

transitive verb

: to establish vegetation in or on

Examples of vegetate in a Sentence

I just spent the weekend vegetating at home.

I'm worried that after I retire I'll just sit at home, watch TV, and vegetate.

Recent Examples on the Web

We were parked alongside a remote and heavily vegetated waterway called Furlong Creek, which was the site of another one of Johnson’s experiments. —Katie Thornton, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025

Contrary to the arid badlands of Ledi-Geraru today, millions of years ago, the area was a lush, vegetated landscape with rivers and shallow lakes. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2025

This is the more forested section of the trail and does not offer particularly great views, while the right side of the trail is less densely vegetated and offers views of Angel Island and the East Bay. —Daniel Bromfield, The Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2025

This small reservoir grows big bass but is heavily vegetated in early spring. —Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 11 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Late Latin vegetātus, past participle of vegetāre "to live, grow," going back to Latin, "to impart energy to, invigorate," verbal derivative of vegetus "vigorous, active, lively," probably, if from *vegitus, verbal adjective of vegēre "to give vigor to, enliven" — more at wake entry 1

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2a

Rhymes for vegetate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

vegetate

verb

veg·​e·​tate ˈvej-ə-ˌtāt 

vegetated; vegetating

1

: to live or grow in the manner of a plant

2

: to lead a lazy life by doing little but eating and growing

3

: to establish plant life in or on

vegetated hillsides