Standard Lemma guide

grandma

name · noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɡɹænmɑː/
  • /ˈɡɹænmə/
  • /ˈɡɹɒnmɑː/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: G R AE1 N D M AA0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

An unfriendly and disparaging way of addressing an elderly woman whose name is unknown.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Grandmother.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any elderly woman, regardless of if she has grandchildren.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: childish, colloquial

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To address (someone) as “grandma”.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To be or act as a grandmother to (someone).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive, informal, rare

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the mother of your father or mother

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: grandmother, granny, grannie, gran, nan, nanna

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: grandparent

Narrower terms: nan

History

Etymology

From grand- + ma, after grandmother.

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: ouma — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Arabic: جَدَّة (jadda) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Arabic: تِيتَة (tīta) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Arabic: تيتة (tēta) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Arabic: Iraqi Arabic بِيبِي (bībī) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Arabic: بِيبِيَّة (bībiyya) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Arabic: تيتة (tēta) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Armenian: տատի (tati) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Armenian: տատիկ (tatik) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Catalan: iaia — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Czech: babi — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Czech: babička — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Dutch: oma — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Esperanto: avinjo — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Finnish: mummi — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Finnish: mummo — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • French: mamie — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Georgian: ბებო (bebo) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • German: Oma — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • German: Omi — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Greek: γιαγιά (giagiá) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Hebrew: סָבְתָא (sávta) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Ingrian: baabuška — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Irish: maimeó — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Irish: mamó — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Irish: móraí — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Italian: nonna — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Javanese: nini — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Korean: 할머니 (halmeoni) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Latvian: oma — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Latvian: ome — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Macedonian: ба́ба (bába) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Malay: nek — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Marathi: आजी (ājī) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Nǀuu: ǃuuki — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Nǀuu: ǃuici — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Nǀuu: ǃuike — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Plautdietsch: Groosma — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Polish: babcia — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Portuguese: vovó — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Romanian: bunicuță — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Russian: ба́бушка (bábuška) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Russian: бабу́ся (babúsja) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Russian: бабу́ля (babúlja) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Russian: ба́ба (bába) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Russian: бабу́ня (babúnja) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Serbo-Croatian: ба́ка — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Serbo-Croatian: báka — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Sotho: nkgono — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Spanish: abuela — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Spanish: abuelita — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Swedish: farmor — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Swedish: mormor — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Thai: ย่า (yâa) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Thai: ยาย (yaai) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Ukrainian: бабу́ся (babúsja) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Ukrainian: ба́бця (bábcja) — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
  • Volapük: lemotül — grandmother (informal) — see also granny
Real reading context

grandma in complete knowledge articles

A Season of Gifts Literature & books · Accessible · 3 uses Angry River Science & nature · Accessible · 3 uses Ten Nights in a Bar-Room (1931 film) Arts & music · Accessible · 3 uses