as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity
go easy on him—he's just a greenhorn and doesn't have all the experience you do
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of greenhorn
Hence the herring, every greenhorn’s rite of passage on the Wizard.
—
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 11 June 2024
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
And if Major Kidd could give the kids a pep talk half as good as Rosie, these greenhorns might sleep a little easier.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 1 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for greenhorn
Ashley Boucher, EW.com, 11 June 2024
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
And if Major Kidd could give the kids a pep talk half as good as Rosie, these greenhorns might sleep a little easier.
—Chris Klimek, Vulture, 1 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for greenhorn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for greenhorn
Noun
-
Harper and Yasmin, who’s emerged as the series’ co-lead, started out among Pierpoint’s newest hires; by the end of Season 3, the firm had been effectively dissolved, its novice traders scattered to the winds.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The story of how 36-year-old novice producer Robert Evans became the head of production at Paramount in 1966 is the stuff of legend.—
Hadley Hall Meares,
Vanity Fair,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The trails break down to 16 percent beginner, 55 percent intermediate, and 29 percent advanced runs.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Feb. 2026
-
While my group of beginners played on one half of the ice, across the ice was a league game at play among club members with less than five years of experience in the sport.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The fledgling New Republic works to protect what the Rebellion fought for and turns to the legendary bounty hunter and his young apprentice for help.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
-
An academic career beckoned back home in Dublin, but the twenty-four-year-old apprentice writer was eager to forge a more artistic path.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Three of the Celtics’ current rotation players — center Luka Garza, rookie wing Gonzalez and trade-deadline addition Nikola Vucevic — have never played with Tatum.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
SpaceX's upcoming Crew-12 launch for NASA will fly a pair of veteran astronauts and a pair of rookies to the orbital lab for an extended stay.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For some newcomers to community engagement around immigration, joining such action gives them a sense of purpose and usefulness.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
In January, the governor took the unusual step of snubbing Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a fellow Republican state officeholder, and throwing his support behind political newcomer Nate Sheets in the primary.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Strong was a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award, given to the top small forward, as a freshman in 2025.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Offseason turnover saw the Knights add 31 new faces to the roster, including transfers and incoming freshmen.—
Matt Murschel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Greenhorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/greenhorn. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
