Phrase guide

green fingers

noun · 2 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɡɹiːn ˈfɪŋɡəz/
  • General-American: /ɡɹin ˈfɪŋɡəɹz/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A seemingly natural gardening ability.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, informal, plural, plural-only

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: green thumb

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a special ability to make plants grow

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: green thumb

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: forte, strong suit, long suit, metier, specialty, speciality, strong point, strength

History

Etymology

PIE word *pénkwe From green (adjective) + fingers, possibly popularized by the British gardener and radio and television broadcaster Cecil Henry Middleton (1886–1945).