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English - Hungarian

granny

gb/ɡɹˈæni/ us/ɡɹˈæni/
A2 English
~ 9000
nagyi, idős néni, nénike, vén trotty, óvatoskodó alak
NOUN A2 INFORMAL
1
nagyi A1
Usage pattern:
[someone]’s granny; my/our/their granny
We used to spend every summer at my granny’s house in the countryside.
Régen minden nyarat a nagyimnál töltöttünk vidéken.
My granny taught me how to bake bread when I was a child.
A nagyim tanított meg kenyeret sütni gyerekkoromban.
Let’s go and visit your granny this weekend; she hasn’t seen the kids for months.
Granny always sends us a card on our birthdays.
I’m staying with my granny while my parents are away.
Learner examples
My granny lives in a small town.
A nagyim egy kisvárosban él.
I call my granny every Sunday.
Minden vasárnap felhívom a nagyimat.
My granny tells me stories about her life.
We had dinner at my granny’s house.
I love my granny very much.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *granny* in formal writing where *grandmother* is better. Also, some confuse plural spelling: it is *grannies*, not *grannys*.
Meaning
one’s grandmother
Collocations
my granny |granny’s house |visit my granny |stay with granny |granny and grandpa
Synonyms
grandmother (More formal and general; common in writing and careful speech.) | grandma (Very common informal alternative, especially in American English.) | nan (Informal British and some other varieties; strongly dialectal/region-specific.)
Antonyms
grandfather (The male counterpart (not a true logical opposite, but the contrasting grandparent gender).)
Themes
family |daily life |relationships |daily_life |core_vocabulary
Definition

Your grandmother; the mother of your mother or father, said in an informal, friendly way.

One’s grandmother; a familiar, informal word for the mother of one of your parents.

NOUN B1 INFORMAL
2
idős néni A2
nénike B1
Usage pattern:
a/the granny; that granny [somewhere]
A kindly granny on the bus gave up her seat for the child.
Egy kedves idős néni a buszon átadta a helyét a gyereknek.
There’s a little granny who feeds the birds in the park every morning.
Van egy nénike, aki minden reggel eteti a madarakat a parkban.
The shop was run by a tough old granny who knew everyone’s name.
They helped an old granny carry her bags up the stairs.
The film follows a retired granny who decides to travel the world alone.
Learner examples
A granny lives in the house next to mine.
Egy idős néni lakik a szomszéd házban.
We saw a granny walking slowly across the street.
Láttunk egy idős nénit, aki lassan ment át az utcán.
The young man helped the granny with her heavy bag.
A granny was sitting on the bench in the park.
The granny smiled at the children.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think *granny* always means “my grandmother.” In this sense it can mean any old woman, not a family member. In polite or formal contexts, *elderly woman* is usually better.
Meaning
old woman (not relative)
Collocations
little granny |poor granny |old granny |the granny next door |a lonely granny
Synonyms
old lady (Very common informal term; can be neutral or slightly colloquial.) | elderly woman (More neutral and polite, used especially in careful or respectful speech.)
Antonyms
young woman (Contrasts with the age implied by *granny*.)
Themes
people |age |daily_life |communication |core_vocabulary
Definition

An old woman, not always in your family, spoken about in an informal way.

An old woman, often spoken of in a familiar, sometimes slightly humorous or pitying way, not necessarily related to the speaker.

NOUN B2 INFORMAL
3
vén trotty C1
óvatoskodó alak B2
Usage pattern:
act like a granny; be such a granny; drive like a granny
He drives like a granny and never goes over the speed limit.
Úgy vezet, mint egy vén trotty, és sosem lépi túl a sebességhatárt.
Don’t be such a granny—come on the roller coaster with us!
Ne legyél már ilyen vén trotty – ülj fel velünk a hullámvasútra!
She’s only twenty-five but complains about loud music like a granny.
My friends call me a granny because I go to bed at ten every night.
Stop acting like a granny and just jump in the pool; the water’s fine.
Learner examples
My brother drives like a granny, very slow and careful.
A bátyám úgy vezet, mint egy vén trotty: nagyon lassan és óvatosan.
Don’t be a granny; try something new.
Ne legyél már ilyen vén trotty; próbálj ki valami újat.
They say I am a granny because I sleep early every night.
He is only twenty, but he talks like a granny about “young people today.”
She doesn’t like parties and music, so her friends call her a granny.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense can describe young people too. It does not literally mean the person is a grandmother; it is a playful, sometimes teasing comparison.
Meaning
overly cautious, old-fashioned person
Collocations
don’t be such a granny |acts like a granny |drives like a granny |sounds like a granny
Synonyms
wimp (Informal and more negative; suggests weakness or fear, not specifically “old-fashioned.”) | scaredy-cat (Childlike and playful; focuses on fearfulness rather than old-fashioned behavior.)
Antonyms
daredevil (Someone who takes a lot of risks, the opposite of being overly cautious like a “granny.”)
Themes
personality |informal |daily_life |emotions |communication
Definition

A person who is very careful, slow, or acts like an old person, even if they are young.

A person, of any age, who behaves in an overly careful, slow, or old-fashioned way, especially about risk or speed.

Grammar
Dictionary form
granny
IPA
GB/ɡɹˈæni/
US/ɡɹˈæni/
Syllables & stress
granny (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (granny)
Word forms
Noun
  • Base: granny
  • Plural: grannies
Word family
Forms
grannies noun
Core family
grandmother noun A1 grandma noun A1 grandparent noun A2
Related words
grandfather noun A1 grandpa noun A1 grandchild noun A2
Expressions

don’t be such a granny

1
/dˈoʊnt bˈi sˈʌt͡ʃ ə ɡɹˈæni/
idiom informal

stop acting overly careful

Said to someone when you think they are too careful, afraid, or old-fashioned, and you want them to be more relaxed or brave.

Examples
  • Come on, don’t be such a granny—join us in the water!
  • He told me not to be such a granny when I complained about the loud music.
  • “Don’t be such a granny,” she laughed, handing me the spicy food to try.

drive like a granny

1
/dɹˈaɪv lˈaɪk ə ɡɹˈæni/
idiom informal

drive very slowly and carefully

To drive a car very slowly and very carefully, more than most people do.

Examples
  • He always drives like a granny when it rains.
  • My friends say I drive like a granny, but I’ve never had an accident.
  • The taxi driver did not drive like a granny; he raced through the city.

granny chic

1
/ɡɹˈæni ʃˈik/
fixed phrase informal

fashion using old-lady style items

A fashion style that uses clothes and patterns that look like an old woman’s things, but are worn in a cool, modern way.

Examples
  • Her living room has a kind of granny chic, with floral prints and lace mixed with modern furniture.
  • The brand’s new collection is pure granny chic—cardigans, pearls, and big glasses.
  • Granny chic fashion mixes old-style dresses with trendy shoes and bags.

granny flat

1
/ɡɹˈæni flˈæt/
fixed phrase

small unit for elderly relative

A small separate home or apartment built next to a main house, usually for an older family member to live in.

Examples
  • They built a granny flat in the backyard so her mother could live close by.
  • He rents out the granny flat above his garage to students.
  • The property includes a three-bedroom house and a self-contained granny flat.

granny gear

1
/ɡɹˈæni ɡˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase informal

lowest, easiest gear

The very lowest gear on a bike or in a car or truck, used for going very slowly or up a steep hill.

Examples
  • I had to shift into granny gear to get up that hill.
  • On rough tracks, keep the truck in granny gear for better control.
  • This bike has an extra granny gear for long climbs.

granny knot

1
/ɡɹˈæni nˈɑt/
fixed phrase

incorrect, easily slipping knot

A kind of knot that looks like a square knot but is tied the wrong way, so it can slip or jam and is not safe.

Examples
  • If you tie your shoelaces wrong, you end up with a granny knot that keeps coming undone.
  • The instructor showed us the difference between a reef knot and a granny knot.
  • Climbers avoid a granny knot because it is not secure.

granny panties

1
/ɡɹˈæni pˈæntiz/
fixed phrase informal

large, full-coverage underwear

Women’s underwear that is big, high at the waist, and covers a lot of the body, often seen as not sexy or old-fashioned.

Examples
  • She joked that she only wears comfy granny panties at home.
  • The ad made fun of boring granny panties and showed bright new designs instead.
  • He accidentally saw her laundry and teased her about her granny panties.

granny shot

1
/ɡɹˈæni ʃˈɑt/
fixed phrase informal

underhand basketball free throw

A way of shooting a basketball, usually a free throw, where you hold the ball with two hands and throw it up from between your legs.

Examples
  • He switched to a granny shot and actually improved his free-throw percentage.
  • Kids laughed at his granny shot, but he rarely missed.
  • The coach demonstrated the old-fashioned granny shot as a joke.

Granny Smith

1
/ɡɹˈæni smˈɪθ/
fixed phrase

tart green apple variety

A kind of green apple that is hard and sour, often used for pies and cooking.

Examples
  • I bought some Granny Smith apples for the pie.
  • She prefers Granny Smiths because they’re crisp and tart.
  • The recipe calls for three large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced.

granny square

1
/ɡɹˈæni skwˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase

crocheted square motif

A small square piece of crochet, often colorful, that you join with many others to make a blanket, bag, or clothes.

Examples
  • She’s making a blanket out of colorful granny squares.
  • There are many online tutorials on how to crochet a basic granny square.
  • My first crochet project was a simple granny-square scarf.
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