adj · noun · verb · 11 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
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/ˈɡɹæni/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æni
CMU ARPABET:G R AE1 N IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Typically or stereotypically old-fashioned, especially in clothing and accessories worn by or associated with elderly women.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, not-comparable
Examples
granny dress; granny glasses
1965, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure Long brown fluffy hair, slightly curled on the ends, black coat, gold buttons, belt around the middle, bare legs, no socks, granny heels, also black, shoulder bag, black, transistor radio.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A grandmother.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: old woman
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English gran(nam) Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English granny From gran(nam) + -y.
Etymology tree English gran(d) Proto-Germanic *-j-, *-ij- Proto-West Germanic *-i, *-ī Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English granny From gran(d) + -y.
Across languages
Translations
87 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
جِدَّة
(jidda)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Arabic:
تِيتَة
(tīta)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Arabic:
تيتة
(tēta)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Arabic:
تيتة
(tēta)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Belarusian:
бабу́ля
(babúlja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Belarusian:
бабу́ня
(babúnja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Belarusian:
бабу́ся
(babúsja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Bulgarian:
ба́ба
(bába)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Bulgarian:
ба́бче
(bábče)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Catalan:
iaia
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Chinese Mandarin:
奶奶
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Czech:
babička
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Czech:
bábinka
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Czech:
babča
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Dutch:
oma
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Dutch:
opoe
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Dutch:
bomma
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Finnish:
mummi
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
French:
mémé
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
French:
mamie
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
German:
Oma
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
German:
Omi
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
German:
Großmutti
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Hungarian:
nagyi
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Ingrian:
baabuška
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Italian:
nonna
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Italian:
nonnina
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Japanese:
お婆ちゃん
(obā-chan)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Japanese:
お婆さん
(obā-san)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Korean:
할머님
(halmeonim)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Macedonian:
баба
(baba)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Marathi:
आजी
(ājī)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Norwegian:
besta
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Polish:
babunia
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Polish:
babusia
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Portuguese:
vó
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Portuguese:
vovó
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Portuguese:
vovozinha
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Romanian:
mamaie
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Russian:
ба́бушка
(bábuška)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Russian:
бабу́ся
(babúsja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Russian:
бабу́ля
(babúlja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Russian:
ба́ба
(bába)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Russian:
бабу́ня
(babúnja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Scots:
gran
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Scots:
grannie
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Serbo-Croatian:
ба́ка
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Serbo-Croatian:
báka
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Slovak:
babička
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Slovene:
bábica
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Spanish:
abuelita
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Spanish:
yaya
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Spanish:
abue
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Turkish:
nine
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Ukrainian:
бабу́ся
(babúsja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Ukrainian:
бабу́ня
(babúnja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Ukrainian:
ба́бця
(bábcja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Ukrainian:
бабу́ля
(babúlja)
— colloquial: grandmother — see also grandma
Bulgarian:
стари́ца
(staríca)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Chinese Mandarin:
婆婆
(pópo)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Czech:
stařena
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Dutch:
besje
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Finnish:
mummo
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Finnish:
mummeli
— colloquial: an elderly woman
French:
mémé
— colloquial: an elderly woman
French:
vieille
— colloquial: an elderly woman
German:
Alte
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Hungarian:
anyó
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Hungarian:
anyóka
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Irish:
seanbhean
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Irish:
seanchailleach
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Macedonian:
ба́ба
(bába)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Polish:
babka
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Polish:
staruszka
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Polish:
baba
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Portuguese:
velha
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Romanian:
babă
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Russian:
ба́ба
(bába)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Russian:
ба́бка
(bábka)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Russian:
бабу́ся
(babúsja)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Russian:
бабу́ля
(babúlja)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Russian:
ба́бушка
(bábuška)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Russian:
стару́ха
(starúxa)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
Russian:
стару́шка
(starúška)
— colloquial: an elderly woman
