forest

American  

[fawr-ist, for-] / ˈfɔr ɪst, ˈfɒr- /

noun

forests plural

1. a large tract of land covered with trees and underbrush; woodland.

2. the trees on such a tract.

   to cut down a forest.

3. a tract of wooded grounds in England formerly belonging to the sovereign and set apart for game.

4. a thick cluster of vertical objects.

   a forest of church spires.

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verb (used with object)

1. to supply or cover with trees; convert into a forest.

forest British  

/ fəˈrɛstɪəl, ˈfɒrɪst /

noun

1. a large wooded area having a thick growth of trees and plants

2. the trees of such an area

3. an area planted with exotic pines or similar trees Compare bush 1

4. something resembling a large wooded area, esp in density

   a forest of telegraph poles

5. law (formerly) an area of woodland, esp one owned by the sovereign and set apart as a hunting ground with its own laws and officers Compare park

6. (modifier) of, involving, or living in a forest or forests

   a forest glade

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verb

1. (tr) to create a forest (in); plant with trees

forest Scientific  

/ fôr′ĭst /

1. A growth of trees covering a large area. Forests exist in all regions of the Earth except for regions of extreme cold or dryness.

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forest Idioms  

1. see can't see the forest for the trees.

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Usage

What does forest mean? A forest is a large area of land that’s covered in trees. The word forest can also refer collectively to those trees. An area that’s covered in trees can be described with the adjective forested. Less commonly, forest can be used as a verb meaning to cover an area with trees. This sense of the word is used in the terms deforestation (the clearing of a forested area) and reforesting (planting trees in a woodland that has been deforested or destroyed by a forest fire). Sometimes, forest is used in a figurative way to refer to a collection of vertical objects clustered together, as in Many of these new cities look like forests of skyscrapers. Example: We were deep in the forest, with no roads or buildings for miles.

Synonym Usage

Forest, grove, wood refer to an area covered with trees. A forest is an extensive area, preserving some or all of its primitive wildness and usually having game or wild animals in it: Sherwood Forest; the Black Forest. A grove is a group or cluster of trees, usually not very large in area and cleared of underbrush. It is usually tended or cultivated: a shady grove; a grove of pines; an orange grove; a walnut grove. Woods (or a wood ) resembles a forest but is a smaller tract of land, less wild in character, and generally closer to civilization: lost in the woods; a wood covering several acres.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonforest
  noun
• forest-like
  adjective
• forestal
  adjective
• forested
  adjective
• forestial
  adjective
• forestless
  adjective
• forestlike
  adjective
• nonforested
  adjective
• unforested
  adjective
• well-forested
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• forests
  plural

Etymology

Origin of forest

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin forestis (silva) “an unenclosed wood” (as opposed to a park), derivative of Latin forīs “outside.” Cf. foreign

Explanation

A forest is a densely wooded area, or land covered with trees and shrubs. As a verb it means to establish a forest where none existed before. Famous forests include the Sherwood Forest of Nottinghamshire, England, associated with legend of Robin Hood; the Black Forest of southwestern Germany, so named because it's so dense that very little light enters it; the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil (and 8 other countries of South America); and the forests that make up the Redwood National and State Parks of California, where you can find the tallest trees on earth.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forest forests

Whether from the latest smoke drifting south from Canada or record-breaking fires here at home, the lesson is the same: We have neglected active forest management for far too long.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The European Environment Agency has said "climate change has increased forest fire risk across Europe", with the greatest danger expected in southern Europe.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

A key finding was that the environment the birds evolved in - from tropical forest to temperate landscape - shaped how they "composed" their songs.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

"In the forest, it's been particularly dry these last few days," the former lifeguard said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

At the edge of the rain forest was a wide rock pool with a waterfall tumbling into it, and on the other side of the pool was the garden.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

The unprecedented fires in France and Spain were fuelled by forests left tinder dry by successive heatwaves since May.

From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026

The result is denser forests, more fuel on the ground, and larger, hotter fires that threaten lives, communities and the air we all breathe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

More complex compositions - with ultrafast trills and combinations that contain lots of information - are more common in temperate forests, where birds tend to communicate at closer range.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

When it made its stateside debut in 1999, I was still intoxicated by the city’s proximity to mountains, old growth forests and water – so much of it, fresh or salty.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

He loved reading about forests and jungles, intensely studying the sketches and detailed information about wildlife—monkeys, vampire bats, lions, cheetahs, and bears, to name a few.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Related Words

• jungle
• park
• thicket
• timber
• wood
• woodland