Did you know?
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 naive 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 traces back to the Old French word for “green,” vert, which itself is from the Latin word viridis. Some lesser-known words for shades of green in English include prasine (“having the green color of a leek”), smaragdine (“yellowish green in color like an emerald”), and another viridis descendent, viridescent (“slightly green”).
Examples of verdant in a Sentence
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 1 Apr. 2026
Inspired by the rarer, shadow-seeking white violet, the fragrance pairs verdant-green floral notes with white tea, cedarwood, and a touch of guaiac wood.
—Air Mail, 28 Mar. 2026
In the summer, the monsoon rains fatten the grass into a verdant shag, an annual revel for grazers.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Yet, in the verdant oasis of San Pedro, there’s actually a sprinkling of life.
—Mark Johanson, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for verdant
Cite this Entry
“Verdant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verdant. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
