Grizzly is a common name for the grizzly bear, a large and powerful brown bear that lives in the mountains and forests of western North America. These massive animals can weigh up to 800 pounds and stand over seven feet tall on their hind legs. They get their name from the grizzled, or grayish-tipped, fur on their shoulders and back, which gives them a frosted appearance in sunlight.

Grizzly bears are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. They feast on berries, roots, and fish (especially salmon swimming upstream), and they're famous for their incredible strength and surprising speed. Despite their size, a grizzly can run up to 35 miles per hour, faster than any human.

When we describe something as grizzly, we usually mean it relates to these bears or has their powerful, intimidating qualities. People sometimes confuse grizzly with grisly, which means gruesome or horrifying, but they're completely different words with different meanings.

Grizzly bears once roamed across much of western North America but now live mainly in Alaska, western Canada, and a few protected areas in the lower United States, like Yellowstone National Park. They're a symbol of wilderness and wild places.