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

Example Sentences

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

All the turtles bought on impulse, vegetating in plastic lagoons. —Anne Fadiman, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Feb. 2023

Why not vegetate? —Jon Michail, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2022

Spores can also persist indefinitely in contaminated soil and may vegetate in grazeland, which could further spread the infection among South Dakota’s cattle. —From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 29 Sep. 2022

The Tigers didn't act fast to quash the initial report, rather allowing the idea of Hinch's opt-out clause to vegetate for more than a year. —Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 26 June 2022

In the 58 years since the Skycrane’s first flight, fire seasons have lengthened across a quarter of the Earth’s vegetated surface, giving rise to about a 20 percent increase in the global length of the fire weather season. —Eric Tegler, Popular Mechanics, 9 Mar. 2020

Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime. —National Geographic, 21 Jan. 2020

Yes, football has its problems, but what's more indulgent, more American, than vegetating on the couch for four hours, gorging on queso and analyzing beer commercials with a bunch of your favorite people? —Aj Willingham, CNN, 1 Feb. 2020

Planting trees and ensuring soils are always vegetated with a cover crop such as clover between cropping seasons can also slow water and trap soil. —Dan Evans, Quartz, 29 Dec. 2019

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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

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