Meaning & use
granny
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
An affectionate, informal word for a grandmother.
Grammar: Capitalized when used as a name: Granny called.
Patterns
- my granny
- Granny's house
Granny knits sweaters for the whole family.
We spent the summer at my granny's cottage.
Come and say hello to Granny.
nouncountableinformaldisapproving
An old woman, whether or not a grandmother, sometimes used in a mocking way.
Grammar: Can be unkind when used about someone who dislikes it.
Patterns
- drive like a granny
Stop driving like a granny, we'll be late!
The old granny at the market gave me a plum.
He called the cautious player a granny.
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Describes something resembling or associated with a grandmother, such as a style or knot.
Grammar: Used only before a noun: granny glasses.
Patterns
- granny glasses
- granny square
She crocheted a blanket from granny squares.
He wore round granny glasses.
The tied knot was a granny knot.
Word forms
| plural | grannies |
|---|
Common combinations
- granny flat
- They built a granny flat for her mother.
- granny knot
- A granny knot slips more easily than a reef knot.
- granny square
- Each granny square is crocheted in a spiral.
- granny glasses
- Round granny glasses came back in fashion.
- granny smith
- A Granny Smith apple tastes tart.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grandma
- Grandma is the most common American informal term and sounds less British than granny.
- nan
- Nan is British and used in some regions, often warmer and more casual.
- grandmother
- Grandmother is the formal, neutral term used in writing.
- gran
- Gran is a shortened British form used by many families.
Opposites
Word family
- grannies noun
- plural of granny
- grandmother noun
- the mother of your parent
- granddaughter noun
- a daughter of your child
- granny-like adjective
- like a grandmother in manner
Commonly confused: granny or granny?
granny vs granny
Granny is sometimes confused with grainy, which means containing grain-like specks.
Practice
Which phrase names a separate small home built for an older relative?
Choose one answer.
A granny flat is a small separate home for a relative. A granny knot is a type of knot and a granny square is crochet.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “granny”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.