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.

---

verb (used with object)

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

forest British  

/ 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

---

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.

---

forest Idioms  

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

---

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

"Wildwood," a stop-motion animation tale from Laika Studios about a young girl who ventures into an enchanted forest to rescue her kidnapped brother, held in third place with $7.5 million.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

It refers to the mythical Slavic crone, Baba Yaga, who either gives heroes a boon or lures wayward children to a forest hut that moves around on bird legs.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

It burned through about 10 sq miles of forest and moorland near Aviemore in July and August.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

That could take the form of equine-assisted therapy, working with horses; horticultural therapy, involving plant-based activities; or forest bathing, a mindfulness practice drawing on the different senses while immersed in nature.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

The door swung open, sending a rush of forest debris over Clare’s freshly scrubbed hollow.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

O’Brien again portrayed Rinderknecht as angry and unusually interested in fire, citing images of burning forests he generated before the blaze.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

“They are going to need to plant new forests for all of the subpoenas we’ll be printing,” Edward Markey, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, wrote on X on Tuesday about potential hearings for technology executives.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

The US-based energy giant struck a deal last month to take control of Papua LNG, which aims to tap into massive gas fields nestled in the forests of Papua New Guinea.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

The charity is built around what is known as "green and blue health", which encourages people to use natural environments such as forests, beaches and the sea to improve their health.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

He was whisked by car through the dense pine forests surrounding the airport to an address on Durham's North Side.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

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

---