Dictionary

gringo en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈɡɹɪŋɡoʊ/ (US)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈɡɹɪŋɡəʊ/ (UK)

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish gringo, from griego (“Greek”), used for anyone who spoke an unintelligible language. Doublet of Greek.

Meanings

1. (derogatory, humorous, qualifier:chiefly Hispanic slang) A white person from an English-speaking country, particularly the United States.
   • Indeed, much like her predecessor and mentor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Sheinbaum has perfected the art of doing the gringos’ dirty work while purporting to act in a “sovereign” fashion – and even to defy the imperial overlords to the north. 2026 February 23, Belén Fernández, “El Mencho’s killing won’t solve Mexico’s cartel problem – or anything else”, in Al Jazeera English, archived from the original on 03 Mar 2026:
   • Truly it is as Don José tells me; these gringos have come but to make trouble where all was peace. 2017, B. M. Bower, The Gringos: The Tale of the California Gold Rush Days:

Forms

Deriveds

Gringostan · Gringolandia · Gringoland

Relateds

gringa · gringophobia

Synonyms

white person

Translations (14)

es gringo (a white person from an English-speaking country) · es gringa (a white person from an English-speaking country) · sv gringo (a white person from an English-speaking country) · cmn 美國佬 /美国佬 (a white person from an English-speaking country) · bg гри́нго (a white person from an English-speaking country) · th ฝรั่ง (a white person from an English-speaking country) · ru гри́нго (a white person from an English-speaking country) · bg гри́нга (a white person from an English-speaking country) · he גְּרִינְגּוֹ (a white person from an English-speaking country) · ja グリンゴ (a white person from an English-speaking country) · pt gringa (a white person from an English-speaking country) · uk грі́нго (a white person from an English-speaking country) · uk ґрі́нґо (a white person from an English-speaking country) · pt gringo (a white person from an English-speaking country)