green
1 of 3adjective
ˈgrēn 
1
: of the color green
2
a
: covered by green growth or foliage
green fields
b
: consisting of green plants and usually edible herbage
a green salad
c
of winter : mild, clement
3
a
: envious sense 1 —used especially in the phrase green with envy
b
: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance
4
: not ripened or matured
green peaches
5
a
: deficient in training, knowledge, or experience
green recruits
b
: deficient in sophistication and savoir faire : naive
was green and credulous
c
: not fully qualified for or experienced in a particular function
6
: youthful, vigorous
7
: fresh, new
8
a
often capitalized : relating to or being an environmentalist political movement
b
: concerned with or supporting environmentalism
green consumers who practice recycling
c
: tending to preserve environmental quality (as by being recyclable, biodegradable, or nonpolluting)
greener energy solutions
9
: pleasantly alluring
10
a
: not fully processed or treated: such as
(1)
: freshly sawed
green lumber
(2)
: not aged
green liquor
(3)
: not dressed or tanned
green hides
b
: not in condition for a particular use
greenish
ˈgrē-nish
adjective greenishness noun
greenly adverb
greenness
ˈgrē(n)-nəs
noun green
2 of 3noun
1
: a color whose hue is somewhat less yellow than that of growing fresh grass or of the emerald or is that of the part of the spectrum lying between blue and yellow
2
: something of a green color
3
: green vegetation: such as
a greens plural
(1)
: leafy herbs (such as spinach, dandelions, or Swiss chard) that are cooked as a vegetable
(2)
: green vegetables
b
greens plural : leafy parts of plants for use as decoration
4
: a grassy plain or plot: such as
a
: a common or park in the center of a town or village
b
: putting green
5
: money
especially : greenbacks
6
often capitalized : environmentalist
especially : a member of an activist political party focusing on environmental and social issues
7
physics : one of the three colors (see color entry 1 sense 15) that quarks have in the theory of quantum chromodynamics
Whereas there is just one kind of electric charge, however, there are three kinds of color charge, usually called red, blue and green. (The names, of course, have nothing to do with colors in the everyday sense.)
Elliott D. Bloom and Gary J. Feldman
Elliott D. Bloom and Gary J. Feldman greeny
ˈgrē-nē
adjective green
3 of 3verb
greened; greening; greens
transitive verb
1
: to make green
2
: rejuvenate, revitalize
intransitive verb
: to become green
Synonyms
Adjective
- grown
- leafy
- lush
- luxuriant
- overgrown
- verdant
Noun
- flora
- foliage
- greenery
- herbage
- leafage
- vegetation
- verdure
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective fields green with meadow grass a new pitcher who's pretty green, even by rookie standards Noun a mixture of blues and greens The town green was the center of activity. It took him four shots to get to the green.
Recent Examples on the Web Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2022 High concentrations of the naturally occurring cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae, appear in stagnant, warmer water, WSSC Water officials said. Katherine Shaver, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Some of these vampires are actually vegetarian: Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus hunts green algae. Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2022 The Pebble developer highlights copper as a key component in green technology, from electric vehicles to the wires connecting renewable energy projects. Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2022 But supply chains for critical components of green technology — from the minerals in batteries to the microchips in cars and electronics — are not always reliably based in the U.S. or with allies. Tribune News Service, oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2022 According to the Lake Merritt Institute, an organization that leads volunteer clean-ups, green algae usually grows in large quantities during the spring and early summer. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2022 Opposition against CO2-belching private jets is growing, and some are calling for bans—but here’s an alternative idea: turning private jets into a testing ground for green aviation technology (i.e., hydrogen or electricity). Peter Vanham, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2022 The broken bolts preceding the incident weren’t the only warning signs of problems at PGE’s flagship wind facility, which opened 15 years ago amid a push to expand green energy technology in Oregon and nationally. The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, 27 Aug. 2022 Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 This pair feels super luxe and this neutral green will be a nice departure from all my black and brown boots. Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 July 2022 The color green itself is a calming color, says Christopher Satch, professor at the New York Botanical Gardens and creator of The Plant Doctor. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune, 21 July 2022 Kale salads may be all the rage, but served raw, the sturdy green can be off-puttingly tough. Christopher Kimball, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2022 Kale salads may be all the rage, but served raw, the sturdy green can be off-puttingly tough. Christopher Kimball, sun-sentinel.com, 15 Mar. 2022 Green, unsurprisingly, is the third most popular bedroom color, with dark green being the most popular shade. Avery Newmark, ajc, 14 Feb. 2022 The green is on higher ground behind the hole, allowing balls to feed back toward it. San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2022 The green is actually paint, but the purplish brown that represents flesh in many of the pictures is shoe polish. Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2021 Jennifer Hiller, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 Organic fertilizer does not green a lawn at the same rate as conventional fertilizers. Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2022 Paying tribute to Lady Liberty's original copper color which eventually turned to green as the metal oxidized, Gerstein put Lively in Kiss Gel Fantasy Sculpted Nails before adding in some fun detailing to match her dress. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2022 In the end, application of fertilizers reduces the impact of soil microbes and your lawn can’t green up without more fertilizers. Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Aug. 2022 The American super has quietly launched her own knitwear brand, spearheaded the jorts revival, and made lime-green a color to rival Valentino’s Pink PP. Alice Newbold, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2022 Over the last two decades, voters have green-lighted more than $9 billion in bonds for the district. Debbie Truongstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022 The grass will green up when cooler, wetter weather returns in fall. Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2022 Memorial Day will green-light a lot of vacation travel but also potentially an endless summer of delays especially at Florida airports, where Orlando and Miami are in a contest over ranking as busiest in the state. Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 26 May 2022 See More
Adjective
High concentrations of blue-green algae have been found in the T. Howard Duckett Reservoir in Laurel, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said Thursday. Cassidy Jensen, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2022 High concentrations of the naturally occurring cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae, appear in stagnant, warmer water, WSSC Water officials said. Katherine Shaver, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2022 Some of these vampires are actually vegetarian: Vampirovibrio chlorellavorus hunts green algae. Jennifer Frazer, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2022 The Pebble developer highlights copper as a key component in green technology, from electric vehicles to the wires connecting renewable energy projects. Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2022 But supply chains for critical components of green technology — from the minerals in batteries to the microchips in cars and electronics — are not always reliably based in the U.S. or with allies. Tribune News Service, oregonlive, 5 Sep. 2022 According to the Lake Merritt Institute, an organization that leads volunteer clean-ups, green algae usually grows in large quantities during the spring and early summer. Kyla Guilfoil, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2022 Opposition against CO2-belching private jets is growing, and some are calling for bans—but here’s an alternative idea: turning private jets into a testing ground for green aviation technology (i.e., hydrogen or electricity). Peter Vanham, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2022 The broken bolts preceding the incident weren’t the only warning signs of problems at PGE’s flagship wind facility, which opened 15 years ago amid a push to expand green energy technology in Oregon and nationally. The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, 27 Aug. 2022 Noun
Rather than a traditional green or red, the monarch opted for a deep teal coat with zig-zag detail along the buttons. Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 This pair feels super luxe and this neutral green will be a nice departure from all my black and brown boots. Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 July 2022 The color green itself is a calming color, says Christopher Satch, professor at the New York Botanical Gardens and creator of The Plant Doctor. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune, 21 July 2022 Kale salads may be all the rage, but served raw, the sturdy green can be off-puttingly tough. Christopher Kimball, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2022 Kale salads may be all the rage, but served raw, the sturdy green can be off-puttingly tough. Christopher Kimball, sun-sentinel.com, 15 Mar. 2022 Green, unsurprisingly, is the third most popular bedroom color, with dark green being the most popular shade. Avery Newmark, ajc, 14 Feb. 2022 The green is on higher ground behind the hole, allowing balls to feed back toward it. San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2022 The green is actually paint, but the purplish brown that represents flesh in many of the pictures is shoe polish. Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2021 Verb
The text alert was the latest effort by the state to balance plans to rapidly green its grid while meeting rising energy demands. Jennifer Hiller, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 Organic fertilizer does not green a lawn at the same rate as conventional fertilizers. Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2022 Paying tribute to Lady Liberty's original copper color which eventually turned to green as the metal oxidized, Gerstein put Lively in Kiss Gel Fantasy Sculpted Nails before adding in some fun detailing to match her dress. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2022 In the end, application of fertilizers reduces the impact of soil microbes and your lawn can’t green up without more fertilizers. Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Aug. 2022 The American super has quietly launched her own knitwear brand, spearheaded the jorts revival, and made lime-green a color to rival Valentino’s Pink PP. Alice Newbold, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2022 Over the last two decades, voters have green-lighted more than $9 billion in bonds for the district. Debbie Truongstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2022 The grass will green up when cooler, wetter weather returns in fall. Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2022 Memorial Day will green-light a lot of vacation travel but also potentially an endless summer of delays especially at Florida airports, where Orlando and Miami are in a contest over ranking as busiest in the state. Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 26 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Noun, and Verb
Middle English grene, from Old English grēne; akin to Old English grōwan to grow
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Phrases Containing green
Kids Definition
green 1 of 2
adjective
ˈgrēn
greener; greenest
1
: of the color of grass : colored green
a green shirt
2
: covered with green plant growth
green fields
3
: made of green plants or of the leafy parts of plants
a green salad
4
: not ripe
green bananas
5
: not fully processed, treated, or seasoned
green lumber
6
: lacking training or experience
green troops
7
: jealous sense 2
green with envy
8
: supporting the protection of or helping to protect the environment
green activists
green household products
green
2 of 2noun
1
: a color between blue and yellow : the color of growing grass
2
greens plural : leafy parts of plants used for food
3
: a grassy plain or plot
the village green
Medical Definition
green 1 of 2
adjective
ˈgrēn
1
: of the color green
2
of a wound : being recently incurred and unhealed
3
: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance
4
of hemolytic streptococci : tending to produce green pigment when cultured on blood media
green
2 of 2noun
1
: a color whose hue is somewhat less yellow than that of growing fresh grass or of the emerald or is that of the part of the spectrum lying between blue and yellow
2
: a pigment or dye that colors green see janus green
Geographical Definition
Green
geographical name
ˈgrēn
1
river 730 miles (1175 kilometers) long in the western U.S. flowing from the Wind River Range in western Wyoming south into the Colorado River in southeastern Utah
2
city in northeastern Ohio south of Akron population 22,817
Biographical Definition
Green 1 of 2
biographical name (1)
Julien or Julian 1900–1998 French novelist
Green
2 of 2biographical name (2)
William 1873–1952 American labor leader
green 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in lush
covered with a thick, healthy natural growth fields green with meadow grass Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- lush
- leafy
- grown
- verdant
- dense
- overgrown
- fertile
- rich
- luxuriant
- tangled
- productive
- prolific
- fruitful
- fat
- fecund
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- barren
- leafless
- poor
- dry
- bleak
- stark
- dead
- unproductive
- impoverished
- arid
- infertile
- depleted
- desert
- sere
- waterless
- parched
- sear
2
as in inexperienced
lacking in adult experience or maturity a new pitcher who's pretty green, even by rookie standards Synonyms & Similar Words
- inexperienced
- immature
- adolescent
- young
- unripe
- unripened
- juvenile
- raw
- youthful
- unformed
- unfledged
- callow
- puerile
- wet behind the ears
- childish
- babyish
- infantile
- innocent
- infantine
- boyish
- girlish
- youngish
- virginal
- naive
- juvenescent
- maidenly
- kiddish
- infantilized
- unsophisticated
- tender
- untried
- ingenuous
- unseasoned
- unknowing
- untrained
- naïve
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ripe
- mature
- adult
- advanced
- experienced
- grown-up
- precocious
- sophisticated
- worldly
- savvy
- knowing
- worldly-wise
3
as in simple
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment in spite of her age, she's still green enough to be hoodwinked by fast-talking scammers Synonyms & Similar Words
- simple
- innocent
- naive
- dewy
- primitive
- inexperienced
- immature
- unsophisticated
- uncritical
- unsuspecting
- naif
- unworldly
- unsuspicious
- ingenuous
- childish
- trustful
- simpleminded
- unknowing
- dewy-eyed
- wide-eyed
- raw
- believing
- naïf
- trusting
- unwary
- childlike
- naïve
- idealistic
- careless
- impractical
- aw-shucks
- callow
- unrealistic
- gullible
- susceptible
- credulous
- unguarded
- heedless
- duped
- thoughtless
- tricked
- gulled
- gullable
- beguiled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- cosmopolitan
- sophisticated
- worldly
- critical
- suspicious
- knowing
- cynical
- skeptical
- experienced
- cautious
- careful
- unconvinced
- guarded
- watchful
- wary
- realistic
- incredulous
- pragmatic
- doubting
- sober
- leery
- pragmatical
- suspecting
- worldly-wise
- hardheaded
- down-to-earth
- leary
- streetwise
- street-smart
green
2 of 2noun
1
as in foliage
green leaves or plants the lonely soldier dreamt of the fields of green that he had wandered in as a youth Synonyms & Similar Words
- foliage
- vegetation
- flora
- greenery
- grassland
- herbage
- leafage
- prairie
- verdure
- undergrowth
- underbrush
2
as in money
something (as pieces of stamped metal or printed paper) customarily and legally used as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment I need to save up some green before I can afford that cruise Synonyms & Similar Words
- money
- cash
- coin
- gold
- currency
- bucks
- cabbage
- dough
- kale
- change
- chips
- funds
- legal tender
- tender
- coinage
- long green
- loot
- lolly
- wampum
- bread
- dollar
- needful
- lucre
- sheqalim
- scratch
- moola
- sheqels
- moolah
- pelf
- shekels
- jack
- resources
- mint
- shekalim
- wallet
- paper money
- shekelim
- money order
- capital
- specie
- promissory note
- bill
- earth
- roll
- pot
- pile
- peanuts
- scrip
- banknote
- abundance
- finances
- draft
- shoestring
- wad
- means
- wealth
- bomb
- big bucks
- folding money
- pin money
- treasure
- petty cash
- bundle
- greenback
- dead presidents
- pocket money
- chump change
- mite
- riches
- dime
- opulence
- bankroll
- spending money
- note
- mad money
- check
- fortune
- pittance
- dibs
- packet
- cashier's check
- megabucks
- boodle
- king's ransom
- wherewithal
