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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."
Examples of verdant in a Sentence
Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2025
That’s largely the case today, but 7,000 years ago the vast desert was an altogether different place: a verdant world of trees and rivers and home to megafauna such as hippos and elephants.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2025
As soon as the weather warms up, though, both the casual Garden restaurant and the gourmet restaurant will serve meals in the verdant courtyard garden, which feels like a serene oasis in the heart of the city with its beautiful magnolia trees, hedges, and flowers.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2025
At long last, spring has arrived here in New England, with verdant leaves erupting through soil and piles of brown leaves.
—Natalie Pattillo, Vox, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for verdant
Cite this Entry
“Verdant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdant. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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