green thumb

American  

noun

1. an exceptional aptitude for gardening or for growing plants successfully.

   Houseplants provide much pleasure for the city dweller with a green thumb.

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green thumb British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): green fingers.  considerable talent or ability to grow plants

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green thumb Cultural  

1. A knack for growing plants and keeping them healthy: “All my houseplants are in sorry shape; it's clear I don't have a green thumb.”

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green thumb Idioms  

1. A knack for making plants grow well, as in Just look at Louise's plants—she really has a green thumb. This term presumably alludes to the stained fingers of an avid gardener. [First half of 1900s]

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Other Word Forms

• green-thumbed adjective
• green-thumber noun

Etymology

Origin of green thumb

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

He was happy to leave the plant decisions to Solberg, the green thumb of the family.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2024

A walking red flag with a green thumb, he goes by the name Narvel Roth, which is surely some sort of punishment.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2023

Outside of school, Reagan enjoys ceramics, obsessing over Victorian literature, and trying to keep her plants alive, although her succulents are proof that she may not have a green thumb.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 8, 2023

For your green thumb, find tips for saving money on houseplants and how to keep your plants alive longer.

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2022

Seaweed is the secret behind her green thumb; she calls it Mother Nature’s Slug Repellent.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day