wallflower

wall-flow-er · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A European plant with fragrant flowers, often growing on old walls or rocks.

  2. 2.

    (Informal) A shy or excluded person at a dance or party, typically one who stands against the wall rather than participating.

  3. 3.

    (Figurative) Someone who is overlooked or fails to attract notice.

Forms

plural: wallflowers

Related words

Antonyms: extrovert, life of the party
See also: flower, introvert, shy
Synonyms: introvert, loner, shy person

Etymology

Compound of wall and flower, originally referring to the plant that grows on walls. The figurative sense of a shy person developed in the early 19th century from the image of someone standing against the wall at a dance.