grizzly

[griz-lee]

See more synonyms for grizzly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, griz·zli·er, griz·zli·est.

somewhat gray; grayish.
having hair that is gray; gray-haired.

noun, plural griz·zlies.

grizzly bear.
a device for screening ore, consisting of a row of iron or steel bars.

Origin of grizzly

First recorded in 1585–95; grizzle¹ + -y¹

Can be confusedgrisly gristly grizzled grizzly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for grizzly

gray, leaden, grizzly

Examples from the Web for grizzly

Contemporary Examples of grizzly

The Reservation is sovereign Indian land, and the grizzly is a sacred animal to these tribes.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014
FWS submitted a formal rule and delisted the grizzly in 2007, but was sued by wildlife groups.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014
Why the government is so vehemently eager to delist the grizzly remains a troublesome question.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014
The battle between conservation groups and FWS over the fate of the Yellowstone grizzly is about to repeat.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014
Yellowstone grizzly bears face the two greatest threats to their survival in our lifetime: global warming and the U.S. government.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear
Doug Peacock
November 23, 2014

Historical Examples of grizzly

The Grizzly was surprised; but he replied with a left-hander that knocked her over like a sack of hay.
Johnny Bear
E. T. Seton
But of all these numerous occasions the most ignominious was shortly after the affair with the Grizzly.
Johnny Bear
E. T. Seton
Why the Grizzly did not break her in two I could not understand.
Johnny Bear
E. T. Seton
It is the position of the grizzly, hopeless for the weaker man.
Dwellers in the Hills
Melville Davisson Post
He struggled frantically, but felt like a puppy-dog in the paws of a grizzly.
The Spoilers of the Valley
Robert Watson

British Dictionary definitions for grizzly

grizzly

adjective -zlier or -zliest

somewhat grey; grizzled

noun plural -zlies

See grizzly bear

usage

Grizzly is sometimes wrongly used where grisly is meant: a grisly (not grizzly) murder

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

Word Origin and History for grizzly

adj.

1590s, from grizzle "gray" (see grizzled) + -y (2). Grizzly bear (ursus horribilis) is first recorded 1807 but belongs rather to grisly.