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

Set over the lagoon, in a charming, coastal-chic, home-like setting hidden among the island’s verdant vegetation, the spa is a welcome respite with a warm ambiance and airy, contemporary decor. —Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Our tasters agreed that there was a pleasant, verdant, peppery aroma. —Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 17 Dec. 2024

The answer, in Swift’s song and Nye’s response, is to poetry — and to the verdant Lake District of Britain where so many of its practitioners, especially during the Romantic era, thrived (and, yes, in William Wordsworth’s case, also died). —Jennifer Harlan, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024

From the polo grounds of Coachella Valley to the farm fields in Imperial County, vast stretches of the harsh Colorado Desert have been converted into verdant fields thanks to fertilizer and irrigation. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 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