forsythia

noun

for·​syth·​ia fər-ˈsi-thē-ə 

 chiefly British  -ˈsī-

plural forsythias also forsythia

: any of a genus (Forsythia) of ornamental shrubs of the olive family with opposite leaves and yellow bell-shaped flowers appearing before the leaves in early spring

Illustration of forsythia

Examples of forsythia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Forsythia The bright yellow forsythia shrub should be trimmed back in the spring after the blooms fade. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024

Spring flowering trees and shrubs (azaleas, dogwoods, forsythia, oakleaf hydrangeas) should be pruned shortly after flowering is over. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2024

Purple blossoms furred the redbuds along his driveway; here and there beneath them were sprays of yellow forsythia. —Jamie Quatro, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024

The daffodils and forsythia are blooming everywhere right now, offering a riot of yellow to a landscape that has been a monochrome gray for too many months. —Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from William Forsyth †1804 British botanist

First Known Use

circa 1814, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

forsythia

noun

for·​syth·​ia fər-ˈsith-ē-ə 

plural forsythias also forsythia

: any of a genus of shrubs related to the olive and having yellow bell-shaped flowers appearing before the leaves in early spring