what is the difference between a forest and the woods?

Question

My boyfriend said that a forest is all trees and that the woods has more underbrush. I said they are the samething and "woods" is a slang term.

could it have to do with size?

Answer 1

Usual terminology uses Forest to denote a large area covered by trees and other vegetation, and is home to many species of living creatures. A wood, or the woods is generally used to mean a small area containing the same things. They are both the same, but local dialects use them in different ways. A walk in the forest usually conjers a picture of giant redwoods in my mind, whereas a walk in the woods gives me an image of smaller more densely spaced trees of many species.

Answer 2

I'm not sure there is much difference, though I always thought a forest covered much more land and was older growth than a woods. A wood. The woods.
That's the only difference I go by when I describe one or the other.
My pathetic dictionary doesn't say. (I've called my dictionary pathetic so often, a change had got to happen soon! :-} )

Answer 3

trust me...i live in the woods!!!...or the forest ...whatever way you want to call it....it`s all about the closeness of the trees. they are one and the same...altho, i perfer the term woods.

Answer 4

not much.

its usually just the context. woods is more casual.

Answer 5

same