Illustration of wallflower
- wallflower 1a
wallflower
noun
wall·flow·er
ˈwȯl-ˌflau̇(-ə)r 
1
a
: any of several Old World perennial herbs (genus Cheiranthus) of the mustard family
especially
: a hardy erect herb (C. cheiri) widely cultivated for its showy fragrant flowers
b
: any of a related genus (Erysimum) of herbs with showy flowers
2
a
: a person who from shyness or unpopularity remains on the sidelines of a social activity (such as a dance)
b
: a shy or reserved person
Examples of wallflower in a Sentence
there were too many wallflowers at the party, so things never really got lively
Recent Examples on the Web
Some wallflowers also have red, white or purple blooms, and the plants will reseed to grow back in the spring.
—
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
This isn’t a wallflower’s luxury hideaway for Capri refuseniks, but rather the ideal five-star perch for someone who wants to embrace the high-season scene with gusto.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
This is a particularly awkward one, but Pen portrays herself as this meek wallflower.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2023
The wallflower of the streaming wars backed neither but scored post-theatrical windows from sister studios for The Holdovers and Oppenheimer, the latter setting in-house ratings records for a shallow-pocketed platform that technically has no horse in this race.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
In our world, Pen's status as a wallflower has everything to do with her confidence, very little to do with her outward appearance.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2023
After all, there are no wallflowers at this garden party!
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 15 Feb. 2024
No wallflowers here; the women are brash, brassy, and refreshingly bold.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024
Editor’s picks The executive producers shared that the show didn’t seek wallflower characters but complex individuals who were prepared to be unapologetic with strong aspirations and desires to win the challenge.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2023
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
This isn’t a wallflower’s luxury hideaway for Capri refuseniks, but rather the ideal five-star perch for someone who wants to embrace the high-season scene with gusto.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024
This is a particularly awkward one, but Pen portrays herself as this meek wallflower.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2023
The wallflower of the streaming wars backed neither but scored post-theatrical windows from sister studios for The Holdovers and Oppenheimer, the latter setting in-house ratings records for a shallow-pocketed platform that technically has no horse in this race.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
In our world, Pen's status as a wallflower has everything to do with her confidence, very little to do with her outward appearance.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2023
After all, there are no wallflowers at this garden party!
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 15 Feb. 2024
No wallflowers here; the women are brash, brassy, and refreshingly bold.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024
Editor’s picks The executive producers shared that the show didn’t seek wallflower characters but complex individuals who were prepared to be unapologetic with strong aspirations and desires to win the challenge.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wallflower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Wallflower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wallflower. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wallflower
noun
wall·flow·er
ˈwȯl-ˌflau̇(-ə)r
: a person who from shyness or unpopularity remains alone (as at a dance)
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