wallflower

American  

[wawl-flou-er] / ˈwɔlˌflaʊ ər /

noun

1. a person who, because of shyness, unpopularity, or lack of a partner, remains at the side at a party or dance.

2. any person, organization, etc., that remains on or has been forced to the sidelines of any activity.

   The firm was a wallflower in this year's bidding for government contracts.

3. a European plant, Cheiranthus cheiri, of the mustard family, that, when growing wild on walls, cliffs, etc., has sweet-scented, usually yellow or orange flowers, but when cultivated has flowers varying in color from pale yellow to brown-red or purple.

4. any of several related plants of the genera Cheiranthus and Erysimum.

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wallflower British  

/ ˈwɔːlˌflaʊə /

noun

1. Also called: gillyflower.  a plant, Cheiranthus cheiri, of S Europe, grown for its clusters of yellow, orange, brown, red, or purple fragrant flowers and naturalized on old walls, cliffs, etc: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

2. any of numerous other crucifers of the genera Cheiranthus and Erysimum, having orange or yellow flowers

3. informal a person who stays on the fringes of a dance or party on account of lacking a partner or being shy

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Etymology

Origin of wallflower

First recorded in 1570–80; wall + flower

Explanation

A wallflower is someone who's so shy that they typically stand or sit alone rather than engage with a larger group. If you tend to be introverted and a bit awkward at parties, you might describe yourself as a wallflower. A botanist would tell you that wallflowers are actual flowers; a relative of the cabbage, wallflowers are native to southern Europe and grow tiny blossoms of various colors. Figurative wallflowers are even more varied, including introverts, people with social anxiety, and extremely reserved folks. The stereotypical wallflower stands against the wall at a party, too shy to ask someone to dance. This meaning dates back to at least 1820.

Example Sentences

And in just three minutes of exposition, Hughes and Deutch nimbly convey that Molly Ringwald’s Andie Walsh is both your conventional artsy wallflower and a singularly special young woman.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026

Vanderbilt, the former SEC wallflower, just posted the first 10-win season in its history.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

In 2019 Coughlan was cast as wallflower Penelope Featherington, the youngest daughter of a newly rich family during London's Regency era, in Bridgerton.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2024

I was always kind of in high school very much a wallflower, where I just was slightly outside of it and just watching, and probably through life I’m still that way.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2022

Being a human belonging to the wallflower genus, I’m kinda used to swallowing my words instead of speaking them.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• observer