wallflower

[ wawl-flou-er ]

noun

1. a person who, because of shyness, unpopularity, or lack of a partner, remains at the side at a party or dance.
2. any person, organization, etc., that remains on or has been forced to the sidelines of any activity:

   The firm was a wallflower in this year's bidding for government contracts.

3. a European plant, Cheiranthus cheiri, of the mustard family, that, when growing wild on walls, cliffs, etc., has sweet-scented, usually yellow or orange flowers, but when cultivated has flowers varying in color from pale yellow to brown-red or purple.
4. any of several related plants of the genera Cheiranthus and Erysimum.

wallflower

/ ˈwɔːlˌflaʊə /

noun

1. Also calledgillyflower a plant, Cheiranthus cheiri, of S Europe, grown for its clusters of yellow, orange, brown, red, or purple fragrant flowers and naturalized on old walls, cliffs, etc: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)
2. any of numerous other crucifers of the genera Cheiranthus and Erysimum, having orange or yellow flowers
3. informal.
   a person who stays on the fringes of a dance or party on account of lacking a partner or being shy

Word History and Origins

Origin of wallflower¹

First recorded in 1570–80; wall + flower

Example Sentences

Then plug-in candle warmers will be a quick transition—instead of using wallflower refills, you can use wax melts.

From Popular-Science

Potato-leek soup, sometimes a wallflower, turns into a talker at the table.

From Washington Post

Specifically: the second it appeared in that trailer for The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

From The Daily Beast

But Michele Bachmann, who has been a wallflower of late, may point the way to a more efficacious line of attack: crony capitalism.

From The Daily Beast

On The Real Housewives of New York City, Alex McCord has morphed from wallflower to rabble-rouser.

From The Daily Beast

His anthology, On Film Festivals (Wallflower Press), was published in 2009.

From The Daily Beast

The legendary singer, who died Sunday, was no wallflower when it came to defending herself against racial slurs.

From The Daily Beast

While the young folks dance, the old folks play wallflower or cards, or take snuff or punch, or talk politics.

From Project Gutenberg

It was a comical sight and Hopalong, the only wallflower besides Baum and the sheriff, laughed until he became weak.

From Project Gutenberg

Across walls and floors the brambles trailed, and the yellow wallflower crowned the ruins of the stonework everywhere.

From Project Gutenberg

Snapdragon, wallflower, pansies, and hollyhocks are very easily grown from seed.

From Project Gutenberg

Our first species is the well-known Wallflower (Cheiranthus cheiri), of the order Crucifer.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• observer