rainforest

noun

rain·​for·​est ˈrān-ˌfȯr-əst How to pronounce rainforest (audio)
-ˌfär-
variants or less commonly rain forest
plural rainforests also rain forests
1
: a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters) and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy

called also tropical rainforest

2

Examples of rainforest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In addition to tropical varieties of all kinds (bromeliads, hibiscus, bananas, bird-of-paradise), Leu is home to one of the state’s largest formal rose gardens, a tropical steam garden (similar to a rainforest), a collection of fruit trees, a camellia collection, and so much more. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 31 May 2025 Instead, hike the Kilauea Iki Trail, which travels through a rainforest before dropping into a crater and crossing a lava lake formed by an eruption in 1959. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 29 May 2025 Loss of pristine rainforests alone reached 6.7 million hectares in 2024, nearly twice as much as in 2023, researchers at the University of Maryland and the World Resources Institute said in an annual update of the state of the world’s forests. Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, 22 May 2025 The extinction of the species may have occurred as a result of a changing climate that caused Java to morph from an open woodland environment into a rainforest. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2025 In the Darién Gap, a once-pristine stretch of rainforest connecting South and Central America, the legacy of mass migration has left behind a trail of plastic trash, sewage and human suffering. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025 Her travel writing has taken her to rainforests, remote tropical islands, and the red carpets of Cannes. Felicity Carter, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025 With rainforests being sensitive ecosystems, Pulitano says The 5th Element will be strictly leave no trace and also provide opportunities to participate in beach cleanups. Katie Bain, Billboard, 20 May 2025 The girl is in the Brazilian capital, but the headset transports her to a fictitious Indigenous village in the Atlantic rainforest, where capybaras and jaguars dart across the landscape. Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 20 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rainforest was in 1900

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Cite this Entry

“Rainforest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainforest. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

rain forest

noun
1
: an often tropical woodland with a high annual rainfall and very tall evergreen trees with tops forming a continuous layer

called also tropical rain forest

2

More from Merriam-Webster on rainforest

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