Meaning & use

wallflower

noun·Everyday

A shy person who stands apart at a social gathering or dance without joining in.

See it in a sentence

He felt like a wallflower at the party until an old friend pulled him onto the dance floor.

She was a wallflower in high school but grew far more confident in college.

A note on using this word

Wallflower comes from the image of someone standing against the wall at a dance rather than participating.

Words with a similar meaning

introvertshy person

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A flowering garden plant with fragrant blossoms, often grown near walls.

Wallflowers bloomed along the old stone fence every spring.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “wallflower”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.