grey
adjective
a variant of gray.
grey
1 American
[gray]
/ greɪ /
adjective
greyer,
greyest
Grey
2
American
[gray]
/ greɪ /
noun
-
Charles, 2nd Earl, 1764–1845, British statesman: prime minister 1830–34.
-
Sir Edward Viscount Fallodon, 1862–1933, British statesman.
-
Sir George, 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator: prime minister of New Zealand 1877–79.
-
Lady Jane Lady Jane Dudley, 1537–54, descendant of Henry VII of England; executed under orders of Mary I to eliminate her as a rival for the throne.
-
Zane 1875–1939, U.S. novelist.
grey
1
British
/ ɡreɪ /
adjective
-
of a neutral tone, intermediate between black and white, that has no hue and reflects and transmits only a little light
-
greyish in colour or having parts or marks that are greyish
-
dismal or dark, esp from lack of light; gloomy
-
neutral or dull, esp in character or opinion
-
having grey hair
-
of or relating to people of middle age or above
grey power
-
ancient; venerable
-
(of textiles) natural, unbleached, undyed, and untreated
noun
-
any of a group of grey tones
-
grey cloth or clothing
dressed in grey
-
an animal, esp a horse, that is grey or whitish
verb
Grey
2
British
/ ɡreɪ /
noun
-
Charles, 2nd Earl Grey. 1764–1845, British statesman. As Whig prime minister (1830–34), he carried the Reform Bill of 1832 and the bill for the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire (1833)
-
Sir Edward, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon. 1862–1933, British statesman; foreign secretary (1905–16)
-
Sir George. 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator; prime minister of New Zealand (1877–79)
-
Lady Jane. 1537–54, queen of England (July 9–19, 1553); great-granddaughter of Henry VII. Her father-in-law, the Duke of Northumberland, persuaded Edward VI to alter the succession in her favour, but after ten days as queen she was imprisoned and later executed
-
Zane. 1875–1939, US author of Westerns, including Riders of the Purple Sage (1912)
grey
Idioms
Usage
What’s the difference between grey and gray? Grey and gray are simply different spellings of the same word, which refers to the color halfway between black and white (among other more figurative meanings). In popular use, the two spellings are used interchangeably, though one spelling is often preferred in many places. The spelling grey is more common in British English, while gray is much more common in American English. Remember: spell gray with an a in America, and spell grey with an e in England (among other places). Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between grey and gray.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grey
Old English grǣg; related to Old High German grāo, Old Norse grar
Explanation
Grey is an alternate spelling for the word gray, which is a color derived from mixing white and black. The word has also come to stand in for other mixtures as well. A person in a grey mood feels gloomy. If you are commanding a military force and you’re not sure whether you should attack a crowd that is half enemy fighters and half innocent citizens, you could say the decision falls in a grey zone. Grey can be a verb too. When you get old, your hair will grey if you don’t go bald first.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
According to Natural England, external, causes for the decline include the introduction of grey squirrels from the USA and Canada from 1876 spreading the squirrelpox virus, which is fatal to the red squirrels only.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Lancaster University's Karen Broadhurst says the reduction in support means that more of the "grey area" cases happen.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
"I believe in forgiveness, and a God who forgives. I always have and I still do," the AI version of Pelkey - wearing a grey baseball cap - continued.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Poultry was also associated with slower ventricular enlargement, along with a slower decline in grey matter.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
It is cold, cold; so cold that the grey heavy sky is full of snow, which when it falls will settle for all winter as the ground is hardening to receive it.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
The enduring myth of the tower as a site of cruel torments has a lot to do with Ainsworth’s melodramatic novel, which adapts the true story of Lady Jane Grey, the “nine days queen.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The “Lover” singer is known to have a very soft spot for her own pets: three cats, named Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
The technology was meant to transform "Fifty Shades of Grey" actress Dakota Johnson into the elderly version of Monroe.
From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026
Sink will play Jean Grey, a character revealed to fans when she appeared in Spiderman: Brand New Day last month.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Death-Cast called Delilah Grey at 2:52 a.m. to tell her she’s going to die today, but she’s sure it’s not true.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Thirteen years since leaving the Bernabeu Stadium, he is older, greyer, and perhaps a little wiser.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Climbers returning from Everest have said the mountain was dryer and greyer now.
From Reuters ● Oct. 30, 2023
The UK appears greyer and less free in contrast.
From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2022
Forever captured on film and in photographs as young and fresh-faced, it’s startling to see that their hair is sparser or greyer or both.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2020
Cully lost the vertical stripes of his first year’s plumage and became greyer, grimmer, madder, and distinguished by smart horizontal ban where the long stripes had been.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Colombo awoke to its greyest sky of the week come Sunday morning.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
How and when to count commercial income is already one of the greyest of grey areas in accounting.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 29, 2014
Dublin was at its wettest and greyest, while south-west London last Saturday felt like Siberia.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 26, 2013
By last week talk of a downturn in European business, hushed when Europe's boom refused to bust even during the U.S.'s greyest months, broke out in loud tones.
From Time Magazine Archive
After all, the hair, even at its dullest and greyest, shows fewer of the painful signs of Anno Domini than almost any part of the body.
From Over the Fireside with Silent Friends by Richard King
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
