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

a beautiful, verdant field
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And while the verdant riverside location may seem a little remote, the hotel’s vintage riverboat will get you from A to B faster than trying to navigate Bangkok’s endless traffic jams. Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 A touch of vanilla adds subtle sweetness, resulting in a dewy and verdant fragrance for welcoming eventual warmer days. Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 14 Jan. 2025 Amenities: Outdoor patio, fireplace, an extensive library Editor’s Tip: Grab a book from the floor-to-ceiling library to enjoy in the outdoor patio, a verdant space surrounded by living walls. Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2025 Last year, the 112-year-old Alishan Forest Railway reopened following 15 years of delays and repairs after typhoons and landslides severed this scenic 44-mile journey that starts out in the southern city of Chiayi and takes passengers high into Taiwan’s verdant mountain ranges. Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for verdant 

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

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Dictionary Entries Near verdant

Cite this Entry

“Verdant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdant. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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

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