green

SayGREEN/ɡɹin//ɡɹiːn/

Adjectivegreener, greenest

Noun pluralgreens

40 meanings of green

Practice

1
having the coloradjective
Having the color of grass or leaves.
Like the color you see when you look at a fresh leaf.
She wore a green dress to the party.
He painted the front door bright green.
Similargreenish
2
nouncountable or uncountable
The color of grass and leaves, or paint or dye of that color.
Like the color you see when you look at fresh grass.
Green is my favorite color.
She painted the fence a bright green.
UsageSay a bright green. Greens means different shades.
Note
3
eco-friendlyadjectivefiguratively
Good for the earth and not harmful to nature.
Like choosing a bike instead of a car to keep the air clean.
The company switched to green energy from solar panels.
They built a green office that uses very little water and power.
UsageOften before a noun: green energy. You can say greener.
Similareco-friendly, ecological
Note
4
adjective
With grass, trees, or plants growing on it, not buildings or bare dirt.
People want to keep the field green instead of building a mall on it.
Our town has lots of green areas where kids can play.
Similargrassy, leafy, verdant
Oppositebarren
5
adjective
Marked as correct, ready, or safe using the color green.
Like a checkmark that shows everything passed the test.
All the systems were green before the rocket launched.
The dashboard stays green as long as everything is working.
UsageWhen things pass a check, they go green.
Oppositered
6
nouncountable
A plant with leaves that people eat as a vegetable, cooked or raw, like spinach or lettuce.
Eat your greens before you have any dessert.
Spinach is my favorite leafy green.
UsageA common phrase is eat your greens.
Note
7
nouncountable or uncountable
A signal light shown in green that tells you it is safe to go.
Like a sign at a crossing that tells you it's okay to walk.
Wait for the green before you cross the street.
The cyclists rode off as soon as they got the green.
UsageDrivers wait for the green.
Oppositered
Note
8
golfnouncountable or uncountable
The smooth, grassy area around the hole on a golf course.
Like the smooth, flat spot at the end of a mini-golf lane.
Her ball rolled onto the green and stopped near the flag.
He spent an hour practicing putts on the green.
UsagePlayers putt on the green.
Note
9
not ripeadjective
Not yet ripe, said of fruit that changes color as it ripens.
Like a banana that is still hard and not ready to eat.
These green bananas need a few more days before they're sweet.
The tomatoes are still green and too sour to eat.
Similarunripe, immature
Oppositeripe
10
environmental politicsadjective
Belonging to or supporting an environmental political party.
Like a team whose main goal is keeping nature safe.
The green party wants to protect rivers and forests.
She ran for the city council as the Green candidate.
Similarenvironmentalist, ecological, environmental
Note
11
nouncountable or uncountable
A piece of grassy land, especially an open space in the middle of a village where people meet.
Cattle grazed on the green all through the warm afternoon.
They set up a picnic on the green by the river.
Similarcommon, meadow

Less common meanings

12
inexperiencedadjectivefiguratively
New to a job or task and without much skill or experience yet.
Like a new player who has never been in a real game before.
The new recruits were still green and made plenty of mistakes.
He was too green to handle such an important client alone.
Similarinexperienced, raw, new, callow, fresh
Oppositeexperienced, seasoned, veteran
Note
13
become that colorverbintransitive
To turn green, or to make something turn green.
The hills green quickly once the rains arrive.
By April, the whole valley begins to green.
Note
14
turn eco-friendlyverbtransitive
To change something, or to change yourself, so as to do less harm to nature.
The city wants to green its bus system.
They worked hard to green their old factory.
UsageOften in greening the economy.
Note
15
nouncountable or uncountable
A person who belongs to an environmental political party, or anyone who works to protect nature.
Like someone who joins a club to protect forests and animals.
My neighbor is a Green, so of course she votes for clean energy.
Several greens joined the protest outside the factory.
Similarenvironmentalist, greenie, treehugger
Note
16
enviousadjectivefiguratively
Filled with envy because someone else has something you want.
Like wanting something so badly that you can't stop thinking about it.
She was green with jealousy when her sister got a new bike.
He was green with envy over their family vacation.
UsageMost often in green with envy.
Similarenvious
17
sick-lookingadjectivefiguratively
Pale and sick-looking, often in the face.
Like how someone's face can look pale and washed-out when their stomach feels bad.
He looked green after the long boat trip.
The smell of fried fish left her feeling green.
UsageSay someone looks green or goes green.
Similarqueasy, nauseous, pale, sickly, ill
Note
18
leafy branchesnouncountable or uncountableplural
Fresh leaves and branches used for decoration.
We decorated the front door with holiday greens.
We gathered pine greens in the woods to make wreaths.
Similarfoliage, boughs
Note
19
cashnounslangUSuncountable
Money, especially paper bills you can spend.
He saved up enough green to buy his first car.
She flashed a roll of green at the counter.
UsageSay some green or a lot of green.
Similarcash, money, dough, bread
20
backstage roomnouncolloquialcountable or uncountableabbreviationellipsis
Short for green room: the room where performers wait and relax before and after a show.
Note
21
wet woodadjective
Used about wood that has just been cut and is still wet, so it bends easily.
Like a fresh twig that folds in your hand instead of breaking in two.
Green wood bends instead of snapping.
The logs were too green to use for the fire.
Similarunseasoned, wet, fresh
Oppositeseasoned, dry
Note
22
verbtransitive
To add parks and grassy spaces to a town.
The council voted to green the downtown area.
Planners want to green the old industrial district.
23
freshadjectivefiguratively
Full of life and energy, fresh, new, and not faded.
Even at eighty, his memory of that day stayed green.
Fifty years later, the memory of their wedding day is still green.
Similarfresh, new, young, youthful
Note
24
drug (slang)nounslanguncountable
Marijuana, the dried plant some people smoke.
They rolled some green and passed it around the campfire.
He kept his green hidden in an old tin and smoked a little every night.
Similarweed, pot, cannabis, dope, grass
Note
25
snooker ballnouncountable or uncountable
In snooker, the ball worth three points.
He potted the green to take the lead.
After the last red, she went for the green.
26
bowls groundnouncountable or uncountable
The piece of ground where people play the game of bowls.
The old men played bowls on the green every Sunday afternoon.
Rain flooded the green, so the bowls match was called off.
Note
27
adjective
In cricket, used about a pitch that is still damp, even with no grass showing.
28
adjective
In publishing, used about an article that its author puts online free to read, sometimes after a waiting time.
29
adjective
Connected with Islamist politics or groups.
30
noun
One of three kinds of color charge that tiny particles called quarks can have.
31
adjective
Easily tricked because you do not know much about the world.
32
adjectivedated
Of bacon, not smoked.
33
adjectivedated
Roasted only a little and still partly raw.
We say the meat is green when half roasted.
1725, Isaac Watts, Logick
34
adjective
Of movie film, just developed and still soft.
35
adjective
Of wine, too sour.
36
adjectivecolloquialPhilippines
Dirty or rude in a sexual way.
37
adjective
Of a tiny particle, having the charge type named after this color.
38
adjective
Having to do with special money rates once used for farm prices in the EU.
39
adjective
Of a metal part made from powder, pressed but not yet baked hard.
40
interjection
Said to show you want to start or go on with sex.

More uses

greensleafy green vegetables such as spinach or cabbage

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of green apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–12, 15–21, 23–26

From Old English grēne, which came from older Germanic words linked to a very old root meaning "to grow".

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Green derives from Old English grēne. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English word descends from Germanic forms ultimately linked to a root meaning “to grow”. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 13–14, 22

From Old English grēnian, meaning "to become green" or "to flourish", built from the adjective green.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The verb green derives from Old English grēnian. en.wiktionary.org
Old English grēnian meant to become green or flourish. en.wiktionary.org
The verb was formed from the adjective green. en.wiktionary.org