laurel
noun
a small European evergreen tree, Laurus nobilis, of the laurel family, having dark, glossy green leaves.
laurel
1 American
[lawr-uhl, lor-]
/ ˈlɔr əl, ˈlɒr- /
noun
-
laurels
plural
-
Also called bay, sweet bay. a small European evergreen tree, Laurus nobilis, of the laurel family, having dark, glossy green leaves.
-
any tree of the genus Laurus.
-
any of various similar trees or shrubs, as the mountain laurel or the great rhododendron.
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the foliage of the laurel as an emblem of victory or distinction.
-
a branch or wreath of laurel foliage.
-
Usually laurels. honor won, as for achievement in a field or activity.
verb (used with object)
-
laurels,
present (3rd person singular)
-
laureled,
past participle, past
-
laurelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
laureling,
present participle
-
laurelling
present participle (especially British)
-
to adorn or wreathe with laurel.
-
to honor with marks of distinction.
idioms
-
rest on one's laurels, to be content with one's past or present honors, achievements, etc..
He retired at the peak of his career and is resting on his laurels.
-
look to one's laurels, to be alert to the possibility of being excelled or surpassed.
New developments in the industry are forcing long-established firms to look to their laurels.
Laurel
2
American
[lawr-uhl, lor-]
/ ˈlɔr əl, ˈlɒr- /
noun
-
Stan Arthur Stanley Jefferson, 1890–1965, U.S. motion-picture actor and comedian, born in England.
-
a city in SE Mississippi.
-
a town in central Maryland.
-
a female given name.
laurel
British
/ ˈlɒrəl /
noun
-
Also called: bay, true laurel. any lauraceous tree of the genus Laurus , such as the bay tree (see bay4 ) and L. canariensis , of the Canary Islands and Azores
-
any lauraceous plant
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short for cherry laurel mountain laurel
-
a European thymelaeaceous evergreen shrub, Daphne laureola, with glossy leaves and small green flowers
-
an evergreen cornaceous shrub, Aucuba japonica, of S and SE Asia, the female of which has yellow-spotted leaves
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(plural) a wreath of true laurel, worn on the head as an emblem of victory or honour in classical times
-
(plural) honour, distinction, or fame
-
to be on guard against one's rivals
-
to be satisfied with distinction won by past achievements and cease to strive for further achievements
verb
laurel
More Idioms
Usage
What does laurel mean? A laurel is a type of tree with dark, glossy green leaves. In Ancient Greece and Rome, laurel leaves were used to make wreaths that were worn on a person’s head to symbolize victory—like that leaf crown that Caesar is always wearing in statues. Today, we use the word laurels to mean honors. When used this way, it is almost always plural. Example: After a 50-year career, I have many laurels, but I’m most proud of my beautiful family.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
laurelsimple
-
laurelssimple
-
have laureledperfect
-
have laurelledperfect
-
has laureledperfect
-
has laurelledperfect
-
am laurelingprogressive
-
am laurellingprogressive
-
are laurelingprogressive
-
are laurellingprogressive
-
is laurelingprogressive
-
is laurellingprogressive
-
have been laurelingperfect progressive
-
have been laurellingperfect progressive
-
has been laurelingperfect progressive
-
has been laurellingperfect progressive
Past
-
laureledsimple
-
laurelledsimple
-
had laureledperfect
-
had laurelledperfect
-
was laurelingprogressive
-
was laurellingprogressive
-
were laurelingprogressive
-
were laurellingprogressive
-
had been laurelingperfect progressive
-
had been laurellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of laurel
1250–1300; dissimilated variant of Middle English laurer, earlier lorer < Anglo-French; Old French lorier bay tree, equivalent to lor bay, laurel (< Latin laurus ) + -ier -ier 2; see -er 2
Explanation
A laurel is a wreath worn on the head, usually as a symbol of victory. If you see an image of Julius Caesar, chances are he's wearing a laurel. A laurel is a type of wreath — circular, made from leaves and branches — worn on the head in ancient times. The laurel is a symbol of victory that lives on in the phrase "Resting on one's laurels." When you rest on your laurels, you're happy with previous successes but not doing much to continue succeeding. You've gotten lazy and complacent.
Vocabulary lists containing laurel
"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
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Quiz yourself on these words spoken by the man at the center of the "Laurel" / "Yanny" craze!
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"To an Athlete Dying Young" by A. E. Housman
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The soldiers are shadowed by an allegorical figure carrying poppies, symbolizing sleep—an analog, in the art of the time, for death—and a laurel branch symbolizing peace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
At the center, resting on a plinth in front of a shallow niche and beneath a graceful valance of laurel, is French’s striking bronze portrait bust of Hunt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
On 1 July 2002 he laid a laurel wreath at the monument, two hours ahead of the main council ceremony to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2024
Returning to the trail, with its soothing chorus of crickets, velvety laurel sumac shrubs and feathery wild grasses, something inside me loosened.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2024
Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters spqr embroidered inside a laurel wreath.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
If I’m not with the family and I’m just by myself or with a girlfriend, I’ll go to Laurel Tavern, which is a pub that has the greatest little menu.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
"We don't want to export it to countries that could use Philippine ube varieties to compete with us," Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said last month while revealing the ban on raw ube exports.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
I’m driving down Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles, listening to Matt’s proposal over my car speaker, my eyes blurry from crying.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
“That’s about earning; what’s not part of that equation is wealth and accumulation,” said Laurel Taylor, founder and CEO of Candidly.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
He quoted a line from his film favourites, Laurel and Hardy.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
But the Grammy-winning band isn’t resting on its laurels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
But that should not mean resting on our laurels or on the golf cart if a friend or acquaintance reaches out for help.
From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026
"We're not sitting on our laurels, but we're not intimidated by that at all," he says of displays such as the No Kings protest.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
Through a proprietary mixture of light nostalgia baiting and ever-present curiosity, Gellar has achieved a rare type of icon status — a superstar who owns her legacy, but isn’t willing to rest on her laurels.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
Fowl was the winner this time, but someone like him wouldn’t be able to rest on his laurels.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
We are in the midst of a great year for cinema, Glenn, and “The Zone of Interest,” already widely acclaimed and laureled at Cannes, sits near the top of the list for me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2023
The more poignant question may be: When does the writing of a laureled outsider drown out the literary voices of the people being discussed?
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2023
He’s a laureled veteran, fast, strong, smart and enormous, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds.
From New York Times ● Oct. 24, 2016
As much as Sarris yearned to canonize Samuel Fuller and Nicholas Ray, he also needed to cauterize the work of directors laureled by front-line movie reviewers.
From Time ● Jun. 21, 2012
My brows men laureled and my lyre Twined with immortal ivy for one little rippling song; My "House of Golden Leaves" they praised and "passionate fire"— But, Friend, the way is long!
From The Book of American Negro Poetry by James Weldon Johnson
Walt Disney himself, laurelled by the White House as the “Creator of an American Folklore,” claimed the mantle of innocence, describing Mickey as “Youth, the Great Unlicked and Uncontaminated.”
From The New Yorker ● Jun. 3, 2019
The most laurelled of black composers, Ellington was honored on his 70th birthday with a dinner and jam session at the White House.
From Time ● Oct. 24, 2011
He was buried at the expense of the state in Sta Croce, where his laurelled statue is still to be seen.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various
But the house stood isolated, and outside the laurelled forests and porous cliffs soaked up the dissonance as a blotter soaks ink.
From The Roof Tree by Lee F. Conrey
Not for him the promise, It shall be thine in danger's hour To guide the helm of Britain's power And midst thy country's laurelled crown To twine a garland all thy own.
From Chippinge Borough by Stanley J. Weyman
Smith's continuous stream of productivity, her topical range, the accolades laureling her books, her prodigious artistic abilities, should be evidence enough to assuage her fears about credibility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2018
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