Slangora

greenie

(chiefly, Australia, New Zealand, slang, derogatory) An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.

ˈɡɹiniDocumented since 1970s1970sGen XhistoricalCurrent163 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
⚡ Tech, Dev & AI
3 definitions
Community

Etymology timeline

Born ~1973 · 1 year of recorded use
1973Born2026: 1 citationToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

Definitions

Australia
#1·Apr 27, 2026AUS

(chiefly, Australia, New Zealand, slang, derogatory) An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.

People ask me if am I a greenie and I go, ‘No, not in the sense that I chain myself to trees, no I′m not. But in the sense that I am concerned about the environment and do my little bit to help, then yes I am.’
Origin: From . Environmentalist sense first attested in Australia in 1973, referring to trade unionists who supported green bans. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

Greenie means: An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.. It is mainly New Zealand English and may not be understood outside that context. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

greenie means: An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.

Was this helpful?

Comments

Australia
#2·Apr 27, 2026AUS

(Australian politics, informal, by extension) A member of the Australian Greens.

“What′s a greenie doing with a gas hog like that?”
Was this helpful?

Comments

Australia
#3·Apr 27, 2026AUS

(US, Wyoming, derogatory, slang) A person from Colorado; after the color of the Colorado license plate.

2009, Sean Dooley, Cooking With Baz, Large Print 16pt Edition, [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=SgDU_YHFchQC&pg=PA25&dq=%22greenie%22+-intitle:%22%22+-inauthor:%22%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=B5ZtT4XsOIbFmQWV6uS5Bg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22gr…
Cluster: approval
Heard in the wild
  • “It’s a caricature. The Green Goblin is a bit much, but he does kind of look like that. And ftr, I’m a Greenie.”

    — Bluesky· May 2026
Was this helpful?

Comments

For specific readers

Greenie means: An environmentalist, someone who shows concern for the environment; often aimed at environmental extremists.. It is mainly New Zealand English and may not be understood outside that context. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

Used in

Australia

Have a better definition?

Add your own interpretation of "greenie".

Add definition

⚡About Tech, Dev & AI slang

The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.

See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.

Tags

Other words near "greenie" (G)

Browse all slang words starting with G.

Related terms

People also read

Semantically related