deforest

verb

de·​for·​est (ˌ)dē-ˈfȯr-əst 

-ˈfär-

deforested; deforesting; deforests

transitive verb

: to clear (an area) of forests : to remove trees from (an area)

As eroded hillsides become useless, the displaced farmers move still farther up the mountains, deforesting still more land.

—Jane Jacobs

Overgrazing has joined with the wide use of wood fuels to deforest large areas.

—Nathaniel Sheppard, Jr.

Examples of deforest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

According to the nonprofit organization World Wildlife Fund, about 17 percent of the rainforest has been deforested, and about one-third of what remains has been degraded, including from the impacts of extreme drought. — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Bolivia has become one of the fastest deforesting countries on earth. — Jhanisse Vaca Daza, Time, 6 June 2026

It’s surrounded by nickel mines, deforested hills and exposed red dirt. — NPR, 7 May 2026

Beef is especially impactful, in part because around the world cattle are often raised on land that was illegally deforested. — Dave Smith, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

de- + forest entry 1

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deforest

• aorist
• rainforest
• chorused
• forest
• sorest

Biographical Definition

De Forest

biographical name

De For·​est di-ˈfȯr-əst 

-ˈfär-

Lee 1873–1961 American inventor