Meanings
plural undergrowths
- uncountableusuallyThe plants in a forest which only reach a relatively low height (such as shrubs and bushes).
tangled undergrowth
3 more examples
clear the undergrowth
The hikers pushed through thick undergrowth.
The forest floor was covered with dense undergrowth.
Synonyms: underbrush, understory
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe plants in a forest which only reach a relatively low height (such as shrubs and bushes).
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe brush (small trees and bushes and ferns etc.) growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From under- + growth. Cognate with West Frisian ûndergroei (“undergrowth”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ῥώψ
- ῥώψ (rhṓps)plants which only reach a low height
Bulgarian горски храсти
- горски храсти (gorski hrasti)plants which only reach a low height
Catalan sotabosc, malesa
- sotaboscplants which only reach a low height
- malesaplants which only reach a low height
Chinese guànmùcóng
- guànmùcóngplants which only reach a low height
Czech podrost
- podrostplants which only reach a low height
Dutch ondergroei, kreupelhout
- ondergroeiplants which only reach a low height
- kreupelhoutplants which only reach a low height
Finnish aluskasvillisuus
- aluskasvillisuusplants which only reach a low height
French broussailles, sous-bois
- broussaillesplants which only reach a low height
- sous-boisplants which only reach a low height
- maquisplants which only reach a low height
German Unterholz, Unterwuchs
- Unterholzplants which only reach a low height
- Unterwuchsplants which only reach a low height
Hungarian aljnövényzet
- aljnövényzetplants which only reach a low height
Indonesian belukar
- belukarplants which only reach a low height
Italian sottobosco
- sottoboscoplants which only reach a low height
Japanese 下生え
- 下生え (shitabae)plants which only reach a low height
Latin rāmālia
- rāmāliaplants which only reach a low height
Māori hūru, ururua
- hūruplants which only reach a low height
- ururuaplants which only reach a low height
- hururuaplants which only reach a low height
- heuplants which only reach a low height
- heuheuplants which only reach a low height
Polish podszyt, podszycie
- podszytplants which only reach a low height
- podszycieplants which only reach a low height
Portuguese sub-bosque
- sub-bosqueplants which only reach a low height
Romanian tufăriș, tufiș
- tufărișplants which only reach a low height
- tufișplants which only reach a low height
- desișplants which only reach a low height
- subarboretplants which only reach a low height
Russian подлесок, подлесье
- подлесок (podlesok)plants which only reach a low height
- подлесье (podlesʹje)plants which only reach a low height
Spanish sotobosque
- sotobosqueplants which only reach a low height
Thai พง
- พง (pong)plants which only reach a low height
Turkish diri örtü
- diri örtüplants which only reach a low height
Welsh prysgwydd, isdyfiant
- prysgwyddplants which only reach a low height
- isdyfiantplants which only reach a low height
Cite this entry
undergrowth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/undergrowth
“undergrowth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/undergrowth. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “undergrowth,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/undergrowth.
Source: undergrowth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.