noun
tumbleweed
TUHM-buhl-weed
Tumbleweed (noun) means a plant that breaks off from its roots once dry and rolls across the ground in the wind, scattering its seeds. Example: “A tumbleweed rolled slowly across the deserted highway.”
noun
1
A plant that breaks off from its roots once dry and rolls across the ground in the wind, scattering its seeds.
"A tumbleweed rolled slowly across the deserted highway."
2
(informal) An awkward silence following a comment that falls flat.
"He cracked the joke, and the room answered with pure tumbleweed."
How to use tumbleweed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe classic dry, rolling desert plant — or, jokingly, the awkward silence after a joke or comment nobody responds to.
Common pairings
rolling tumbleweed
awkward tumbleweed moment
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Word forms
- Plural
- tumbleweeds
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A _____ rolled slowly across the deserted highway.
Etymology
A compound of tumble + weed, describing how the dried, ball-shaped plant tumbles across open ground driven by the wind.
Synonyms
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winged pigweed
Rhymes for tumbleweed
See all rhymes for tumbleweed →Frequently asked questions
What does “tumbleweed” mean?
The word “tumbleweed” means a plant that breaks off from its roots once dry and rolls across the ground in the wind, scattering its seeds. In plain terms, the classic dry, rolling desert plant — or, jokingly, the awkward silence after a joke or comment nobody responds to.
How do you pronounce “tumbleweed”?
“Tumbleweed” is pronounced TUHM-buhl-weed (/ˈtʌmbəlˌwid/ in IPA).
How do you use “tumbleweed” in a sentence?
Here is “tumbleweed” used in a sentence: “A tumbleweed rolled slowly across the deserted highway.”
What part of speech is “tumbleweed”?
“Tumbleweed” is a noun.
How many meanings does “tumbleweed” have?
“Tumbleweed” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a plant that breaks off from its roots once dry and rolls across the ground in the wind, scattering its seeds.
