woody C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈwʊd.i/ UK /ˈwʊd.i/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj consisting of or resembling wood, or covered with trees The plant developed a tough, woody stem with age. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · consisting of or resembling... woodedforestedligneoussylvantimbered ↔ Opposites treelessbare Word family Derived forms woodiness Related forms woodwoodswoodlandwoodsy Etymology AI details From Old English wudiġ ('wooded'), from wudu ('wood, forest') + -ig (-y), of Germanic origin. wudu Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # woody **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈwʊd.i/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈwʊd.i/ ## Meanings 1. consisting of or resembling wood, or covered with trees ## Examples - The plant developed a tough, woody stem with age. ## Synonyms - wooded - forested - ligneous - sylvan - timbered ## Antonyms - treeless - bare ## Derived Forms - woodiness ## Related Forms - wood - woods - woodland - woodsy ## Roots and Affixes - Root: wudu ## Etymology From Old English wudiġ ('wooded'), from wudu ('wood, forest') + -ig (-y), of Germanic origin. ## AI Etymology Woody comes from Old English wudiġ ('wooded'), from wudu ('wood, forest') + -ig (-y), of Germanic origin. In current use it is an adjective meaning "consisting of or resembling wood, or covered with trees". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The surface form is compositional: its joined elements remain visible in the modern word. A central historical form is Old English wudu. Related English forms include wood, woods, woodland, and woodsy. A derived form is woodiness. The word's history is thus visible in its construction: the components remain interpretable even after the whole expression has settled into a conventional English meaning. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown