give someone grey hair

English

Etymology

The phrase is influenced by the popular belief that stress can cause the greying of hair (that link wasn't shown to be grounded scientifically until a January 2020 study on stress in mice for the Nature journal).

Verb

give someone grey hair (third-person singular simple present gives someone grey hair, present participle giving someone grey hair, simple past gave someone grey hair, past participle given someone grey hair)

1. (idiomatic) To give someone great frustration, confusion, or anxiousness.

Alternative forms

• give someone gray hair

Synonyms

• give grey hair to

Coordinate terms

• get grey hair from

See also

• grey-haired
• oxidative stress