forest

noun

ˈfȯr-əst How to pronounce forest (audio)
Definition of forestnext
as in woodland
a dense growth of trees and shrubs covering a large area the endless forest that the first European settlers encountered

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of forest Black rat snakes occupy an expansive range of habitats, from swamps and marshes to forests and fields. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026 Civil Protection units, supported by army squadrons, were still battling flare-ups in the provinces of Sétif and Guelma this week, where large swathes of forests have been burned. — ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 The novel’s little Scottish village, surrounded by forest, feels claustrophobic, isolated, steeped in dread. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026 Then, the train follows the Westfield river and trundles through dense forests bedecked in autumnal grandeur. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forest
  1. woodland
  2. forestland
Noun
  • Cacao only grows in the tropics, which means the nearest actual cacao trees would have been at least a 3,000-kilometer trek away from the woodlands of the eastern US.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • There are also wetlands, woodlands, savannahs, and mountain bush.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of woodland
Noun
  • National forestland currently encompasses around 193 million acres.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Video from the region showed homes and vehicles burned, and huge swaths of forestland blackened.
    — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 8 July 2026
Definition of forestland

Browse Nearby Words

foresightful
forest
forestall
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Cite this Entry

“Forest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forest. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on forest

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about forest

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