Standard Lemma guide

gringo

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.

  • UK: /ˈɡɹɪŋɡəʊ/
  • US: /ˈɡɹɪŋɡoʊ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪŋɡəʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: G R IH1 NG G OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A white person from an English-speaking country, particularly the United States.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, humorous

Qualifier: chiefly Hispanic slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a Latin American (disparaging) term for foreigners (especially Americans and Englishmen)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: foreigner, alien, noncitizen, outlander

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish gringo, from griego (“Greek”), used for anyone who spoke an unintelligible language. Doublet of Greek.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: гри́нго (gríngo) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Bulgarian: гри́нга (grínga) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Chinese Mandarin: 美國佬 /美国佬 (měiguólǎo) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Hebrew: גְּרִינְגּוֹ (gríngo) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Japanese: グリンゴ (guringo) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Portuguese: gringo — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Portuguese: gringa — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Russian: гри́нго (gríngo) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Spanish: gringo — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Spanish: gringa — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Swedish: gringo — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Thai: ฝรั่ง (fà-ràng) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Ukrainian: ґрі́нґо (gríngo) — a white person from an English-speaking country
  • Ukrainian: грі́нго (hrínho) — a white person from an English-speaking country