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greenhorn
noun
green·horn
ˈgrēn-ˌhȯrn
1
: an inexperienced or naive person
2
: a newcomer (as to a country) unacquainted with local manners and customs
Synonyms
Examples of greenhorn in a Sentence
He's not the most sophisticated businessman you'll ever meet, but he's no greenhorn.
go easy on him—he's just a greenhorn and doesn't have all the experience you do
Recent Examples on the Web
Behind her, a greenhorn named Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) takes photos of Lee taking photos of the dead, and behind Jessie, of course, are Garland and his cinematographer Rob Hardy filming images of both women.
—
Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
That's a pretty apt casting given that the three other members are greenhorns in terms of major titles.
—
Tim Ellis, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
On the fishing boat, a greenhorn named Steve can’t stop going on about ripping off his own father of 40 grand, the cash still in his car, where he’s been living.
—
Tod Goldberg, USA TODAY, 13 Oct. 2021
Yet even before the Academy-Award winning film provided a boost to a once-fringe sport, Honnold had inspired one important greenhorn to get up from her desk and out onto the rocks: his 58-year-old mother.
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Anita Chabria Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2021
Rick’s crew rescues a greenhorn and her rock truck, and Tony’s team tries an ancient fix to keep his operation afloat.
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Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2021
By the time Jacob turned 2, Tony had put a ball in his son’s hands and was watching his greenhorn grow.
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New York Times, 1 Oct. 2021
That system, of course, collapsed under the weight of thousands of greenhorn prospectors.
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David Reamer, Anchorage Daily News, 9 May 2021
The 22-year-old greenhorn heading from Washington to Cleveland in 1992 was a wiry 6-1 receiver named Keenan McCardell, now the 51-year-old receivers coach for the Vikings.
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On The Nfl Mark Craig, Star Tribune, 27 Mar. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'greenhorn.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
obsolete greenhorn animal with green or young horns
First Known Use
1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to greenhorn
Dictionary Entries Near greenhorn
Cite this Entry
“Greenhorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greenhorn. Accessed 14 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
greenhorn
noun
green·horn
-ˌhȯrn
: an inexperienced person
especially
: one easily tricked or cheated
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