Green Synonyms | Collins English Thesaurus

1 (adjective) in the sense of verdant

Definition

covered with grass, plants, or trees

The city has only thirteen square centimetres of green space for each inhabitant.

Synonyms

verdant (literary)

a small verdant garden with a view over Paris

leafy

Our house was surrounded by tall leafy trees.

grassy

verdurous

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2 (adjective) in the sense of ecological

Definition

of or concerned with conservation and improvement of the environment: used in a political context

trying to persuade governments to adopt greener policies

Synonyms

ecological

ecological disasters such as the destruction of the rainforest

conservationist

environment-friendly

ecologically sound

eco-friendly

ozone-friendly

non-polluting

sustainable

recyclable

green-collar

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3 (adjective) in the sense of unripe

Definition

(of fruit) fresh, raw, or unripe

Pick and ripen any green fruits in a warm dark place.

Synonyms

unripe

fresh

The soldiers were fresh recruits.

raw

He is still raw but his potential shows.

immature

The birds were in immature plumage.

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4 (adjective) in the sense of inexperienced

Definition

inexperienced or gullible

He was a young lad, very green and immature.

Synonyms

inexperienced

They are inexperienced when it comes to decorating.

new

innocent

They seemed so young and innocent.

raw

naive

He's so naive he'll believe anything I tell him.

ignorant

They don't ask questions for fear of appearing ignorant.

immature

You're just being childish and immature.

gullible

I'm so gullible I believed him.

callow

Although he's 25, he still behaves like a callow youth in some ways.

untrained

It is nonsense to say we have untrained staff dealing with emergencies.

unsophisticated

He was quite unsophisticated in the ways of the world.

credulous

Children can be credulous and accept what they are told.

ingenuous

He seemed too ingenuous for a reporter.

unpolished

wet behind the ears (informal)

inexpert

unpractised

unversed

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5 (adjective) in the sense of jealous

Collectors worldwide will turn green with envy.

Synonyms

jealous

I have never sought to make my readers jealous of my megastar lifestyle.

grudging

resentful

He turned away in a resentful silence.

envious

I think she is envious of your success.

covetous

His sports car was attracting covetous stares.

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6 (adjective) in the sense of nauseous

Definition

pale and sick-looking

By the end of the race the runners would be green with sickness.

Synonyms

nauseous

Sea travel makes me feel nauseous.

ill

He was seriously ill with pneumonia.

sick

The very thought of food made him feel sick.

pale

A pale light seeped through the window.

unhealthy

a poorly dressed, unhealthy looking fellow with a poor complexion

wan

The lamp cast a wan light through the swirls of fog.

under the weather

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.

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1 (noun) in the sense of environmentalist

Definition

a person who supports environmentalist issues

The Greens see themselves as a radical alternative to the two major parties.

Synonyms

environmentalist

Environmentalists argue that drift net fishing should be banned.

conservationist

tree-hugger (informal, derogatory)

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2 (noun) in the sense of lawn

Definition

an area of smooth turf kept for a special purpose

a pageant on the village green

Synonyms

lawn

common

turf

They shuffled slowly down the turf towards the cliff's edge.

sward

grassplot

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related words

related adjective verdant

subject word lists

See Shades of green

figurative note

Green is the colour of plants and vegetation and many of its extended meanings derive from this. If an area is described as having green spaces, it has parkland, gardens, fields and the like. Similarly, green belt is a zone of open country surrounding a city which is protected from urban development. Green politics are those which concentrate on preserving the environment and natural resources. Green is also the colour of unripe fruit and plants, which has led to the meanings of youth, lack of maturity, and lack of experience. When applied to human physiology, green is the colour of biliousness and sickness as in the phrase green around the gills. Jealousy was formerly linked with the colour yellow, but now is expressed in various phrases with green, such as Shakespeare's green-eyed monster (jealousy) and green with envy. One modern metaphorical meaning of green is in traffic signalling, where a green light means go. The verb greenlight, meaning to authorize or permit something to proceed, shows a recent extension of this sense.