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[1]).
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)
- (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
References
- https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-stress-causes-gray-hair