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Glite Dictionary
to give someone grey hair

to give someone grey hair

8.1
To make someone very worried or stressed
  • idiom
  • UK
translation icon : dar canas
  • Raising teenagers can really give someone grey hair if they are always getting into trouble.

Examples

  • I wanted to say, "Yeah, that was before you gave me grey hair and wrinkles."

    Blog text (28)

  • Trying to meet the deadline for that project might give you grey hair but it's worth it.

  • The constant changes at work have given me grey hair from all the anxiety.

Synonyms

to worry
vsto give someone grey hair
∞ 1.0

To make someone feel nervous or upset about possible problems

causes intense stress that may age someone prematurely rather than mild concern

Antonyms

calm
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

to comfort
172 1.0

To make someone feel less upset or in pain

How Stressful

to overwhelm
164 4.4
to distress
32 4.1
to give someone grey hair
  • UK
8.1
worry
290 1.0
to bother
∞ 1.0
to annoy
246 1.0

Surface Forms

give someone grey hair infinitive
gave someone grey hair past
given someone grey hair past participle
giving someone grey hair present participle
gives someone grey hair third person singular

Morphology

give + someone + gray + hair

The phrase combines a transparent verb of causation ('give') with a concrete image ('grey hair'), so a learner who knows the words can plausibly infer it means causing someone's hair to turn grey — i.e., causing worry or stress. However, the shift from the literal image to the conventional meaning 'cause anxiety/stress' is a metaphorical, culturally mediated extension rather than a strictly compositional meaning, so it is only partly predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Give someone grey hair comes from the simple image that strong worry can make a person grow grey hair. So, the phrase means 'to cause someone stress or worry'.