grey

¹ American  

[grey] / greɪ /

adjective

greyer, greyest

1. Chiefly British. a variant of gray.

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Grey ² American  

[grey] / greɪ /

noun

1. Charles, 2nd Earl, 1764–1845, British statesman: prime minister 1830–34.

2. Sir Edward Viscount Fallodon, 1862–1933, British statesman.

3. Sir George, 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator: prime minister of New Zealand 1877–79.

4. 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.

5. Zane 1875–1939, U.S. novelist.

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grey ¹ British  

/ ɡreɪ /

adjective

1. of a neutral tone, intermediate between black and white, that has no hue and reflects and transmits only a little light

2. greyish in colour or having parts or marks that are greyish

3. dismal or dark, esp from lack of light; gloomy

4. neutral or dull, esp in character or opinion

5. having grey hair

6. of or relating to people of middle age or above

   grey power

7. ancient; venerable

8. (of textiles) natural, unbleached, undyed, and untreated

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noun

1. any of a group of grey tones

2. grey cloth or clothing

   dressed in grey

3. an animal, esp a horse, that is grey or whitish

verb

1. to become or make grey

Grey ² British  

/ ɡreɪ /

noun

1. 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)

2. Sir Edward, 1st Viscount Grey of Fallodon. 1862–1933, British statesman; foreign secretary (1905–16)

3. Sir George. 1812–98, British statesman and colonial administrator; prime minister of New Zealand (1877–79)

4. 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

5. Zane. 1875–1939, US author of Westerns, including Riders of the Purple Sage (1912)

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grey Idioms  

1. see gray.

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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

• greyish adjective
• greyly adverb
• greyness noun
• ungreyed adjective

Etymology

Origin of grey

Old English grǣg; related to Old High German grāo, Old Norse grar

Example Sentences

During one orbit, Anders captured Earth's brilliant blue hue standing out against the vast darkness of space and accentuated by the desolate, grey lunar horizon in the foreground.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

The African grey female named Hugo was spotted taxiing for flight by a firefighter who was carrying out a routine safety inspection.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

The three suspects in the dock were dressed in grey tracksuits and spoke only to confirm their names and addresses.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

At a viewpoint overlooking Chiang Mai, the city skyline was almost entirely obscured, with only faint outlines of hills visible through a dense grey haze and a dim orange sun hanging in the sky.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The man in the grey suit leans forward and whispers something in her ear, too low for her father to overhear.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern