white-haired

IPA/wˈaɪthˈeəd/
IPA/wˈaɪthˈɛɹd/

white-haired — adjective

1. having hair that has become white or grey, typically because of old age.

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

having hair that has become white or grey, typically because of old age.

Example

A white-haired woman slowly walked her small dog through the park every afternoon.

attributive position: a white-haired [person]

The white-haired librarian helped Minh find a book on local history.

Common collocations
  • white-haired man
  • white-haired woman
  • white-haired lady
  • white-haired gentleman
  • white-haired grandmother
  • white-haired cat
  • white-haired dog
  • prematurely white-haired
Synonyms
  • grey-haired

    more common for hair that is grey rather than fully white; slightly more neutral

  • silver-haired

    more poetic or complimentary; often used in descriptions of elegant older people

  • white-headed

    less common; usually describes birds or animals rather than people

Grammar Patterns

white-haired + noun (attributive)

be/look/become + white-haired (predicative)

Usage Note

Frequently used before nouns describing people or animals. Sometimes used about prematurely greying hair, but usually implies advanced age.

Common Mistakes

The white-hair man sat on the bench.
The white-haired man sat on the bench.
The compound uses -ed (meaning 'having white hair'), not a noun form.

2. being the favorite or most cherished person in a group, family, or organization.

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

being the favorite or most cherished person in a group, family, or organization.

Example

After closing three big deals, Caleb became the white-haired boy of the sales team.

idiomatic expression: the white-haired boy

Jiwoo had always been her grandfather's white-haired child, the one who could do no wrong.

Common collocations
  • white-haired boy
  • white-haired girl
  • white-haired child
Synonyms
  • fair-haired

    the direct synonym; 'fair-haired boy' is used identically in the same figurative sense

  • favorite

    more general and common; does not carry the idiomatic fixed-phrase requirement

  • darling

    warmer, more affectionate; can describe both people and things

Grammar Patterns

the white-haired boy/girl/child (attributive before noun of person)

Usage Note

Appears almost exclusively in the fixed phrases white-haired boy, white-haired girl, or white-haired child. This figurative sense is less common than the literal sense and is marked as informal. Do not confuse with the literal meaning of having white hair.

Common Mistakes

She is the white-haired employee in the company.
She is the white-haired girl of the company.
The figurative sense requires boy/girl/child to sound natural.
My white-haired professor is retiring next year.' (meaning favorite professor)
My white-haired professor is retiring next year.
Without the fixed phrase structure, this reads as literal white hair, not as 'favorite.'

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

White-haired, grey-haired, and silver-haired all describe hair colour in older people, but differ in tone and nuance. White-haired is the most literal and neutral, simply stating that the hair has turned white. Grey-haired is the most common everyday term, covering the range from salt-and-pepper to fully grey, and carries no special tone. Silver-haired is a more complimentary and literary choice, often used in positive descriptions of elegant older individuals ('a silver-haired actress'). Elderly is broader, referring to a person's age rather than just hair colour, and can apply to someone whose hair has not necessarily turned white. In writing, white-haired and grey-haired work for neutral descriptive passages, while silver-haired fits affectionate or admiring prose. Example: 'The white-haired man on the bus gave up his seat' (factual description). 'The silver-haired professor stepped gracefully onto the stage' (admiring tone).

white-haired ↗grey-haired ↗silver-hairedelderly ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • prematurely white-haired
  • distinguished white-haired gentleman

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

White-haired is a compound adjective formed from the Old English words 'hwīt' (white) and 'hǣr' (hair), combined with the possessive suffix '-ed' meaning 'having.' The literal sense dates back to Old English descriptions of elderly people and animals. The figurative sense meaning 'favorite, darling' emerged in early 20th-century American English, modeled on the earlier expression 'fair-haired boy,' which was popularized in business and sports contexts to describe a young person especially favored by a boss or coach.