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 of verdant

• lush
• green
• grown
• leafy
• dense

Examples of verdant in a Sentence

a beautiful, verdant field

Recent Examples on the Web

Pictured with a loving 2D sense of verdant forest habitat and targeting 2-6s, a little frog and her friends live wild adventures around their forest, where music and friendship turn each day into discovery, learning and fun, says the synopsis. —John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025

The Great Smoky Mountains are synonymous with waterfalls, verdant valleys, and old-growth forests that produce the range’s signature blue-gray haze. —AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025

Think ornate stuccoes, regal salons, wrought-iron balustrades, and panoramic terraces that offer breathtaking views of Palermo and the verdant Piana dei Colli. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2025

Alongside the winter 2025 collection are two accessories exclusives, the Chainmail bag and the Cabana Maille mules, both done in verdant green colorways. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 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