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Synonyms

grasshopper

American  
[gras-hop-er] / ˈgræsˌhɒp ər /

noun

  1. any of numerous herbivorous, orthopterous insects, especially of the families Acrididae and Tettigoniidae, having the hind legs adapted for leaping and having chewing mouth parts, some species being highly destructive to vegetation.

  2. a small, light airplane used on low-flying missions, as for reconnaissance.

  3. Military. Grasshopper, a U.S. antipersonnel mine that jumps off the ground when activated by proximate body heat and sprays shrapnel over a lethal radius of 350 feet (107 meters).

  4. a cocktail of light cream, green crème de menthe, and white crème de menthe or crème de cacao.

grasshopper British  
/ ˈɡrɑːsˌhɒpə /

noun

  1. any orthopterous insect of the families Acrididae ( short-horned grasshoppers ) and Tettigoniidae ( long-horned grasshoppers ), typically terrestrial, feeding on plants, and producing a ticking sound by rubbing the hind legs against the leathery forewings See also locust katydid

  2. informal very young or very small

  3. an iced cocktail of equal parts of crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream

  4. (modifier) unable to concentrate on any one subject for long

    a grasshopper mind
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
grasshopper Idioms  

  1. see knee-high to a grasshopper.

Etymology

Origin of grasshopper

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English; grass ( def. ), hopper ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The researchers partnered with farmers in Senegal who regularly face outbreaks of the Senegalese grasshopper.

From Science Daily • Jan. 24, 2026

Her metal artworks include a large grasshopper and a dinosaur, which are installed in her garden.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

Whether you are a grasshopper or a bird or a human, if you start destroying the environment in which you live, then you are overpopulated.

From Salon • Nov. 30, 2024

Ground-nesting birds, such as the diminutive grasshopper sparrow, are more elusive.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 13, 2023

Some insect, maybe a grasshopper or worm, found its way to the center of the chicken run and all the chickens went crazy pecking, flapping, and scratching to get at it.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.