grizzly
grizzly Lexical Profile
grizzly Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A large, powerful brown bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) native to the mountainous regions of North America, distinguished by its silver-tipped fur and a prominent muscular hump on its shoulders.
"While hiking in Yellowstone National Park, the group kept a respectful distance after spotting a massive grizzly foraging near the tree line."
• adjective
Having a grayish color, or flecked with gray.
"The old mountaineer ran a weathered hand through his grizzly beard as he recounted tales of the wilderness."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Grizzly" (meaning grayish or referring to the bear) is frequently confused with its homophones "grisly" (meaning gruesome or horrifying) and "gristly" (referring to tough, cartilaginous meat).
• Rhymes for grizzly
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Middle English 'grisel' (gray), which traces back to the Old French 'grisel' from 'gris' (gray). The North American bear was named for its silver-tipped, 'grizzled' fur.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.