green
GREEN
Green (adj) means having the colour of growing grass or leaves. Example: “She painted the kitchen walls a soft sage green.”
adj
1
Having the colour of growing grass or leaves.
"She painted the kitchen walls a soft sage green."
"The frog sat on a broad green leaf beside the pond."
"Her green coat stood out against the grey November sky."
2
Inexperienced or naive.
"He was still pretty green when he started the job, but he learned fast."
"The green recruits kept asking questions because everything about the job was new."
"I was too green to notice that the salesman was exaggerating."
3
Concerned with protecting the environment.
"The company launched a new green initiative to cut plastic waste."
"We switched to a green energy supplier to reduce our carbon footprint."
"She runs a green cafe that composts all its food waste."
noun
1
The colour itself, or an area of grass, especially on a golf course.
"He putted the ball onto the green in two strokes."
"Children played football on the village green until it got dark."
"Green is my favourite colour, especially the shade of fresh spring leaves."
verb
1
To make something more environmentally friendly.
"The city is greening its bus fleet with electric vehicles."
"The school is greening its grounds by planting trees and installing solar panels."
"Many firms are greening their offices to waste less energy and water."
How to use green
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe colour of grass and leaves; also used for inexperience, envy, or environmental concern.
Common pairings
green with envy
go green
village green
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- greens
- Past tense
- greened
- Comparative
- greener
- Superlative
- greenest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She painted the kitchen walls a soft sage _____.
Etymology
From Old English grēne, from a Proto-Germanic root related to "grow" — green is, at its linguistic root, "the colour of growing things."
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for green
See all rhymes for green →Frequently asked questions
What does “green” mean?
The word “green” means having the colour of growing grass or leaves. In plain terms, the colour of grass and leaves; also used for inexperience, envy, or environmental concern.
How do you pronounce “green”?
“Green” is pronounced GREEN (/ˈɡɹin/ in IPA).
How do you use “green” in a sentence?
Here is “green” used in a sentence: “She painted the kitchen walls a soft sage green.”
What part of speech is “green”?
Depending on how it is used, “green” can be an adjective, a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “green” come from?
The word “green” comes from Old English. From Old English grēne, from a Proto-Germanic root related to "grow" — green is, at its linguistic root, "the colour of growing things.".
Is “green” a common word?
“Green” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “green” have?
“Green” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: having the colour of growing grass or leaves.
What two colours make green?
Mixing blue and yellow makes green. In paint or other physical pigments, combining these two primary colours produces green, and adjusting the ratio shifts the shade — more yellow gives a lighter, yellow-green, while more blue gives a deeper, cooler one. Adding white or black changes its lightness.
What does the colour green symbolize?
Green is strongly linked to nature, growth, freshness, and renewal because of its connection to grass and leaves. It also signals 'go' or permission, as on traffic lights, and represents environmental awareness. Less positively, green can suggest envy, as in 'green with envy,' or inexperience.
What are the different meanings of green?
Beyond the colour, green describes a person who is new or inexperienced, as in 'a green recruit.' It also means environmentally friendly, as in green energy. It can describe unripe fruit, or someone looking pale and unwell. As a noun, a green is also a grassy public area or a putting surface.
What colour is opposite green?
On the colour wheel, red sits directly opposite green, making them complementary colours that create strong contrast when placed together — a reason the pairing stands out at Christmas. Because they balance each other, designers use red and green carefully, since side by side they can appear to vibrate.
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