wallflower

noun

wall·​flow·​er ˈwȯl-ˌflau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce wallflower (audio)
1
a
: any of several Old World perennial herbs (genus Cheiranthus) of the mustard family
especially : a hardy erect herb (C. cheiri) widely cultivated for its showy fragrant flowers
b
: any of a related genus (Erysimum) of herbs with showy flowers
2
a
: a person who from shyness or unpopularity remains on the sidelines of a social activity (such as a dance)
b
: a shy or reserved person

Illustration of wallflower

Illustration of wallflower
  • wallflower 1a

Examples of wallflower in a Sentence

there were too many wallflowers at the party, so things never really got lively
Recent Examples on the Web The wallflower of the streaming wars backed neither but scored post-theatrical windows from sister studios for The Holdovers and Oppenheimer, the latter setting in-house ratings records for a shallow-pocketed platform that technically has no horse in this race. Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 In our world, Pen's status as a wallflower has everything to do with her confidence, very little to do with her outward appearance. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Dec. 2023 After all, there are no wallflowers at this garden party! Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 15 Feb. 2024 No wallflowers here; the women are brash, brassy, and refreshingly bold. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024 Editor’s picks The executive producers shared that the show didn’t seek wallflower characters but complex individuals who were prepared to be unapologetic with strong aspirations and desires to win the challenge. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2023 This week’s red carpets were certainly not for wallflowers: The best dressed stars took risks and came to turn heads. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2023 After being squished, the protein acts like a sponge—soaking up the sauce, taking it from wallflower to life of the party. Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appétit, 19 July 2023 Former wallflowers turn into raving lunatics and normally hot-blooded folks go positively supernova. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wallflower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wallflower was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near wallflower

Cite this Entry

“Wallflower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wallflower. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wallflower

noun
wall·​flow·​er ˈwȯl-ˌflau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce wallflower (audio)
: a person who from shyness or unpopularity remains alone (as at a dance)

More from Merriam-Webster on wallflower

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!