Wallflower

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə/

Definitions

1. A person, usually shy or socially awkward, who avoids dancing or attention at social gatherings ; a plant that typically grows along walls or fences, known for thriving in such locations
2. An individual who tends to stay on the sidelines during social events due to timidity or lack of confidence ; a type of flower that commonly grows in close proximity to walls and similar structures
3. Someone who remains unnoticed or neglected in social settings because of reserve or introversion ; a flower species that naturally grows near walls, often climbing or spreading along these surfaces

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "wall" joined to "flower," the blossoming plant. The image is of a plant growing against a wall, where it grows but is not out in the open garden beds. The sense of a person who sits along the edge of a room at a dance, unasked, came from that picture of a flower pushed to the side. The notion of the wallflower as a plant is older than the social sense. Plants of the genus Erysimum, which grow happily on old masonry and stone walls, have borne the name for their whole botanical existence, and the link to walls is the literal, original one. Gardeners would have known the flower as a plant that thrived in odd, shadowed corners rather than in the showy borders. The transfer to people came in the sense of someone left standing along the walls of a ballroom because no one has asked them to dance. The shift from a hardy, humble garden plant to a person cast aside at a social event is a neat example of a metaphor that kept its physical image intact.

Synonyms: loner, shy person, introvert

Antonyms: extrovert, socialite