forest
gb/fˈɔɹɪst/ us/fˈɔɹɪst/
A2
English
~ 1500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Large area of trees
A big area of land with many trees and plants.
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] forest
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'forest' with 'park'. A park is usually smaller and often designed for public recreation, while a forest is a natural area with many trees.
Synonyms
woodland (Slightly more general; can refer to smaller areas of trees.)
|
jungle (Refers especially to dense tropical forests, often with tangled vegetation.)
Antonyms
desert (An area with very little vegetation, opposite of a tree-covered region.)
Collocations
dense forest
|tropical forest
|forest fire
|forest floor
|rain forest
Themes
nature
|environment
|geography
|animals
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We hiked through a dense forest for hours.
- The forest is home to many rare species.
- Forests play a key role in absorbing carbon dioxide.
- A fire destroyed hundreds of acres of forest.
- The children built a shelter in the forest.
Learner examples
- The forest has many tall trees.
- We saw birds in the forest.
- The forest is very green.
- They walked into the forest.
- A river runs through the forest.
Verb
B2
action
2
To plant trees in an area
To put many trees in an area of land.
Usage pattern:
to forest [an area]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'forest' (verb) with 'foresee' or think it means 'to go into a forest'. It specifically means to plant or cover with trees.
Synonyms
afforest (More formal and technical term used in environmental planning.)
Antonyms
deforest (To remove all or most trees from an area.)
Collocations
forest an area
|forest the land
Themes
environment
|agriculture
|nature
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The government plans to forest the barren hills.
- Volunteers worked together to forest the old farmland.
- They aim to forest 500 hectares each year.
Learner examples
- They want to forest this land.
- We will forest the empty field.
- The group will forest the hill.
Grammar
Dictionary form
forest
IPA
GB/fˈɔɹɪst/
US/fˈɔɹɪst/
Syllables & stress
forest (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (forest)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: forest
- Plural: forest, forests
Verb
- Base: forest
- 3rd Person Singular: forests
- Present Participle: foresting
- Past: forested
Word family
Forms
forests
noun
foresting
verb
forested
verb
Core family
forestry
noun B2
Related words
forester
noun
rainforest
noun
Negative and opposite forms
deforest
verb
deforestation
noun B2
Advanced or less common
reforest
verb
reforestation
noun B2
Expressions
boreal forest
1/bˈɔɹəl fˈɔɹɪst/
fixed phrase
technical
Northern coniferous forest biome
A large cold-area forest made mostly of pine and spruce trees, found far north.
Examples
- Canada is home to vast stretches of boreal forest.
- Climate change is affecting wildlife in the boreal forest.
forest fire
1/fˈɔɹɪst fˈaɪɚ/
fixed phrase
Uncontrolled fire in a forest
A big fire that burns in a forest and is hard to stop.
Examples
- The forest fire spread quickly due to strong winds.
- Firefighters worked all night to control the forest fire.
rain forest
1/ɹˈeɪn fˈɔɹɪst/
fixed phrase
Tropical wet forest
A thick forest in a hot place where it rains a lot.
Examples
- The Amazon is the largest rain forest in the world.
- Rain forests are home to many unique animals.
can't see the forest for the trees
1/kˈænt sˈi ðə fˈɔɹɪst fɚ ðə tɹˈiz/
idiom
Focus on details and miss big picture
Not understanding the whole situation because you are paying too much attention to small parts of it.
Examples
- She’s so focused on each typo that she can’t see the forest for the trees in her essay.
- He’s so focused on fixing tiny problems that he can’t see the forest for the trees.
- Don’t get lost in details—remember the main goal!
- Don’t get lost in the details—remember the main goal or you’ll miss the forest for the trees.