Greenhorn
mediumNegative toneGREEN-horn
noun
Definition
An inexperienced or naive person
Memory hook
GREEN-HORN: green like unripe fruit — a naive, inexperienced newcomer.
Examples
“The greenhorn was easily taken advantage of by experienced traders.”
“As a greenhorn in politics, she made several naive mistakes.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ was easily taken advantage of by experienced traders.”
Show answer
greenhorn
Categories
GRE Tip
Greenhorn is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "novice" or "neophyte" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "veteran".
Related GRE Words
fledgling
A young bird just fledged; a person or organization that is new and inexperienced
amateur
A person who engages in an activity for pleasure rather than professionally; lacking expertise
neophyte
A person who is new to a subject or activity; a beginner
novice
A person new to or inexperienced in a field or situation
tyro
A beginner or novice
embryonic
In an early stage of development; rudimentary
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