verdant

adjective

ver·​dant ˈvər-dᵊnt How to pronounce verdant (audio)
1
a
: green in tint or color
b
: green with growing plants
verdant fields
2
: unripe in experience or judgment : green sense 5a
verdancy noun
verdantly 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."

Examples of verdant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Business has never been so good for Stuart McKenzie, who runs a snake-catching service in the Sunshine Coast, a verdant enclave along miles of pristine beach in the vast Australian state of Queensland. Natasha Frost David Maurice Smith, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 This verdant entry sets the stage for what to expect. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 2024 This includes a shot at fly fishing, hiking, and horseback riding across the verdant landscape. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024 Take a leisurely stroll through verdant Central Park or immerse yourself in the frenetic atmosphere of Times Square. Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 The home has a contemporary design, with large, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the verdant surrounding garden and crisp white walls and floors throughout the interior. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 The design featured a 400-foot-wide canopy plated in blue oxidized copper, covering verdant botanical gardens. Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 3 Feb. 2024 The 80-acre property has an organic farm and coffee plantation, plus 21 guest cottages nestled amid its verdant gardens. Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Jan. 2024 Most Popular Celebrity Style SAG Awards 2024: Fashion—Live From the Red Carpet By Hannah Jackson With the village of Matsuzaki as your next destination, more road biking or scenic driving is now bordered by azure coastlines, sleepy fishing villages, and verdant volcanic mountains. Jonny Bierman, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'verdant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of verdant was in 1581

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near verdant

Cite this Entry

“Verdant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdant. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

verdant

adjective
ver·​dant ˈvərd-ᵊnt How to pronounce verdant (audio)
: green with growing plants
verdant fields
verdantly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on verdant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!