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Glite Dictionary
green in the field

green in the field

7.2
Not very experienced in a job or area
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : inexperto
  • Most new hires are green in the field and require training.

Examples

  • She is still green in the field of marketing.

  • She was still green in the field but eager to learn.

  • Even though he's green in the field, he's already making valuable contributions.

  • Don't worry, everyone starts green in the field.

  • Although she is green in the field, her enthusiasm impresses everyone.

  • Most interns are green in the field, so they need a lot of guidance.

  • It's normal to feel green in the field when starting a new job.

Synonyms

green
vsgreen in the field
99 5.8

Inexperienced and easily tricked

focuses on being inexperienced in a particular area rather than being easily fooled
still green
vsgreen in the field
  • Informal
2 5.2

A person who is new and not yet experienced in a job or field

is about having little or no experience in a particular area
green as grass
vsgreen in the field
  • Informal
1 7.5

A person who does not know much yet about a job or task

is similar but refers to lack of experience in one activity

Antonyms

skilled
172 3.5

Having special training and ability to do a job well

experienced
138 2.1

Someone who has a lot of skill and knowledge from doing something many times

How Experienced

expert
3 3.5
experienced
138 2.1
trained
1.9
green in the field
  • Informal
7.2

Surface Forms

green in the field positive

Morphology

green + in + the + field

The adjective 'green' with the sense 'lacking experience' combined with the locational phrase 'in the field' (meaning 'in a particular area or profession') yields a meaning that is directly inferable from its parts. This follows a regular adjectival + prepositional composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should understand it without prior exposure.

Etymology

Green in the field may come from farming: young plants are fresh and green when they first grow in the field, so a person who is 'green in the field' is new and 'inexperienced' in that area.