Skip to main content
graybeard

graybeard

1 7.6
An older man with a gray beard who is respected for wisdom
  • noun
  • /ˈɡreɪˌbɪrd/
  • US
translation icon : anciano
  • Everyone respected the graybeard in the village for his experience and the wealth of knowledge he possessed.

Examples

  • In the other room, the three graybeards were bending over some small heaps.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Why listen to these old graybeards?

  • I refuse to die in sickness nor live the long life of a shameful graybeard.

  • "What about the bonus for finishing the job ahead of schedule?" asked a florid-faced graybeard.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • At this rate, you'll still be abed feeling sorry for yourself when we're all graybeards.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • So where are you passing through to, kid? asks a wizened graybeard in filthy striped pants, a red undershirt, and a rumpled derby.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Yet my excerpted passages were still mostly by men—the graybeards who had been models for my generation of journalists, now gray-bearded ourselves.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The wise old graybeard shared stories from his youth, offering advice to the younger generation.

  • As the meeting progressed, the opinions of the graybeard carried significant weight due to his many years in the industry.

Synonyms

old man
vsgraybeard
380 1.0

A man who is very old

adds the beard image and implies respected wisdom rather than mere age
geezer
vsgraybeard
  • Slang
47 9.3

An old man who behaves in a strange or unusual way

stresses respected experience and age rather than eccentricity
old geezer
vsgraybeard
  • Offensive
8 8.8

A joking, slightly rude name for an old man

implies respect and wisdom instead of joking or insult
gaffer
vsgraybeard
  • Archaic
1 9.1

An old man people speak about in a friendly or polite way

is more literary and directly suggests age plus respected experience
grey-haired elder
vsgraybeard
  • UK
4.4

A respected older person with grey hair who gives advice

is similar but highlights a beard and implies wisdom
Old Gentleman
vsgraybeard
7.2

A polite name for an older man who people respect for his wisdom

is less formal and emphasizes a grey beard as a wisdom sign
Methuselah
vsgraybeard
  • Literature
9.9

A very old person or thing that shows great age

focuses more on mid old age and suggested wisdom not extreme age

How Old

graybeard
  • US
1 7.6
adult
1.0
young man
1.0

Surface Forms

graybeard singular
graybeards plural

Morphology

graybeard = gray + beard (semi-transparent) = gray + beard

The parts 'gray' + 'beard' are literally clear, but the word is often used idiomatically to mean 'an old man' or 'a wise elder', a slight extension from the literal description.

Etymology

Graybeard is made from the simple parts gray and beard, which mean 'gray' and 'beard'. So, it came to mean an older man, often one with experience or wisdom.