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

• green
• grown
• leafy
• lush
• luxuriant
• overgrown

Examples of verdant in a Sentence

a beautiful, verdant field

Recent Examples on the Web

Walk across the bridge to visit the Nan Lian Garden, another charming verdant retreat. —Livia Hengel, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

In one of Burkle's recent projects, a windowpane repeat oozes warmth without upstaging the curved oven alcove or verdant cabinets and trim. —Kelsey Mulvey, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024

Pros share how the right plants and a few space-expanding tricks can transform a tiny urban yard into a verdant retreat. —Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2024

Visitors are encouraged to take off their shoes, feel the grass between their toes, learn about native foods, and sit with the Traditional Owners of northern New South Wales’ verdant food bowl. —Riley Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2024

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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

verdant

adjective

ver·​dant ˈvərd-ᵊnt 

: green with growing plants

verdant fields

verdantly adverb