woody

1 of 3

adjective

ˈwu̇-dē 

woodier; woodiest

1

: abounding or overgrown with woods

2

a

: of or containing wood or wood fibers : ligneous

woody tissues

b

: having woody parts : rich in xylem and associated structures

woody plants

3

: characteristic of or suggestive of wood

wine with a woody flavor

woodiness noun

woody

2 of 3

noun (1)

ˈwu̇-dē 

variants or woodie

plural woodies

: a wood-paneled station wagon

woodiness

3 of 3

noun (2)

wood·​i·​ness

ˈwu̇dēnə̇s, 

-din-

plural -es

1

: the quality, state, or condition of being woody

2

: a virus disease of passion fruit especially troublesome in Australia and characterized by woody tissue in the fruit and gradual decline of the vines

Examples of woody in a Sentence

Adjective

a woody piece of land

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Sometimes stems can be woody or difficult to remove. —Lauren David, Southern Living, 31 May 2026

These woody herbs are surprisingly hardy and adapt to weather extremes. —Emily Hayes, Martha Stewart, 21 May 2026

Noun

The former adds a woody freshness into the mix, while the latter really brings out the resinous vanilla elements. —Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 3 June 2026

Penn Farm program coordinator Ezra Tischler gathers inedible fibrous and woody materials from plants for the project. —Marcella Baietto, CBS News, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

alteration of wood entry 2

First Known Use

Adjective

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1961, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for woody

• goody
• hoodie

Kids Definition

woody

adjective

ˈwu̇d-ē

woodier; woodiest

1

: having or covered with trees

a woody piece of land

2

: of or containing wood or wood fibers

woody plant tissue

3

: characteristic of or similar to wood

a woody texture