verdant

adjective

ver·​dant ˈvər-dᵊnt 

1

a

: green in tint or color

b

: green with growing plants

verdant fields

2

: unripe in experience or judgment : green sense 5a

verdancy

ˈvər-dᵊn(t)-sē 

noun

verdantly

ˈvər-dᵊnt-lē 

adverb

Did you know?

English speakers have been using verdant as a ripe synonym of green since at least the 16th century, and as a descriptive term for inexperienced or naïve people since the 19th century. (By contrast, the more experienced green has colored our language since well before the 12th century, and was first applied to inexperienced people in the 16th century.) Verdant comes from the Old French word for "green," vert, which itself is from Latin virēre, meaning "to show green growth" or "to be green." Today, vert is used in English as a word for green forest vegetation and the heraldic color green. A related word is virescent, meaning "beginning to be green."

Synonyms

• lush
• green
• grown
• leafy
• dense

Examples of verdant in a Sentence

a beautiful, verdant field

Recent Examples on the Web

After a brief talk with his stepson Brian (Samuel Bottomley), a taciturn young man with bloodied knuckles, Jem takes off on his motorbike, into a remote but, compared to his dull suburban home, lush and verdant wilderness. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2025

The massive turnkey home overlooks the first hole of the Dubai Hills Golf Course, offering sweeping, verdant views and enough space to host just about any occasion, plus house a sizable collection of cars and art. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Sep. 2025

This gives the verdant side a silky consistency and slight tang, which inspired us to do the same in this recipe. —Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 24 Sep. 2025

Location Located on a seafront patch of land in Furore, designated one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, the hotel extends over nine verdant terraces. —Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 21 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

contracted from Middle French verdoyant, from present participle of verdoyer "to be green, turn green," going back to Old French verdoier, from verd, vert "green" (going back to Latin viridis, from a base *wir-, whence virēre "to show green growth, be green" of uncertain origin) + -oier, factitive verb suffix, going back to Latin -idiāre, originally representing variant pronunciation (or spelling variant) of -izāre -ize

Note: Latin viridis and virēre have been linked to Lithuanian visti "to multiply, breed," veisti "to breed, rear," as well as to Old English wīse "sprout, stalk," Old High German wisa "meadow," though the semantic connections are vague enough to make this a very tenuous hypothesis.

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

verdant

adjective

ver·​dant ˈvərd-ᵊnt 

: green with growing plants

verdant fields

verdantly adverb