greenhorn

green·horn

noun \-ˌhȯrn\

Definition of GREENHORN

1

: an inexperienced or naive person

2

: a newcomer (as to a country) unacquainted with local manners and customs

Examples of GREENHORN

1. He's not the most sophisticated businessman you'll ever meet, but he's no greenhorn.
2. <go easy on him—he's just a greenhorn and doesn't have all the experience you do>

Origin of GREENHORN

obsolete greenhorn animal with green or young horns

First Known Use: 1682

Related to GREENHORN

Synonyms: abecedarian, apprentice, babe, colt, cub, fledgling, freshman, beginner, neophyte, newbie, newcomer, novice, novitiate, punk, recruit, rook, rookie, tenderfoot, tyro, virgin

Antonyms: old hand, old-timer, vet, veteran

Related Words: boot; amateur, dabbler, dilettante; learner, student, trainee; candidate, entrant, probationer

Near Antonyms: expert, master, pro, professional

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Rhymes with GREENHORN

acorn, adorn, airborne, althorn, baseborn, bass horn, bicorne, blackthorn, blue corn, boxthorn, broomcorn, buckthorn, bullhorn, careworn, Christ's-thorn, Dearborn, dehorn, dent corn, earthborn, einkorn, field corn, firethorn, firstborn, flint corn, foghorn, forewarn, forlorn, forworn, freeborn, French horn, green corn, hartshorn, hawthorn, highborn, hulled corn, inborn, inkhorn, krummhorn, leghorn, longhorn, lovelorn, lowborn, newborn, outworn, pod corn, popcorn, post horn, pronghorn, ramshorn, reborn, saxhorn, seaborne, self-born, shipborne, shoehorn, shopworn, shorthorn, skyborne, soilborne, stillborn, stinkhorn, suborn, sweet corn, tick-borne, timeworn, tinhorn, toilworn, tricorne, trueborn, twice-born, twinborn, unborn, unworn, wayworn, wellborn, well-worn, wind-borne