grizzle

1 of 2

noun

griz·​zle ˈgri-zəl How to pronounce grizzle (audio)
1
archaic : gray hair
2
a
: a roan coat pattern or color
b
: a gray or roan animal

grizzle

2 of 2

verb

grizzled; grizzling ˈgri-z(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce grizzle (audio)

transitive verb

: to make grayish

intransitive verb

1
2
: to become grayish

Examples of grizzle in a Sentence

Verb He is always grizzling about the weather. He always grizzles that the weather is bad.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Inter may lack glamour and flash, but few teams in Europe have quite so much grit and grizzle. Andrew Das, New York Times, 16 May 2023 Nearly every inhabitant of an Arctic scientific-research station has evacuated in advance of encroaching danger, but grizzle-bearded Augustine, who is gravely ill, has stayed behind. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 23 Dec. 2020 Aside from his charismatic grizzle, the role was educational. Sopan Deb and Katie Rogers, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2017
Verb
Grizzlies are typically brown, though their fur can appear to be white-tipped, or grizzled, lending them their name. Fox News, 10 Mar. 2020 Given that the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt - both grizzled and a bit beaten up but all the more handsome for it - that's saying a lot. Sebastian Smee, chicagotribune.com, 25 Aug. 2019 That, for me, is praise for a work of art that’s as close to puppy love as this grizzled, jaded old WASP will ever feel. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 24 Aug. 2019 Given that the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt — both grizzled and a bit beaten up but all the more handsome for it — that’s saying a lot. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2019 For as long as anyone can remember, the Spurs have been grizzled. Jeff McDonald, ExpressNews.com, 20 June 2019 Is Yellowstone big enough for both Roarke and Costner’s grizzled rancher John Dutton? Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 19 June 2019 And then, after 110 fraught minutes, England switched off for a single second and Mandzukic, that grizzled old warrior, stole in and smashed home the winner. Rory Smith, New York Times, 12 July 2018 Family groups of sea otters bob in the swells, the lone males, with their grizzled, silver faces, lay back like old men in their recliners, pining away their days. Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, 13 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grizzle.' 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

Noun

Middle English grisel, adjective, gray, from Anglo-French, from gris, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German grīs gray

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1740, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of grizzle was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near grizzle

Cite this Entry

“Grizzle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grizzle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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