grey
adjective
a variant of gray.
grey
1 American
[grey]
/ greɪ /
adjective
greyer,
greyest
Grey
2
American
[grey]
/ 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:
"At first I thought I would take some music and books," he said, sitting wearily on a camp bed in a dirty grey T-shirt.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Sometimes, the answer lies in those messier grey areas.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The park's previous grey wolves, which had arrived together in 2010, faced a number of age-related health issues, with Cedar, Idaho and Rocky dying first, leaving just Chaser and Aspen.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Deep within the grey matter is plumbing called the glymphatic system.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Nondescript grey stone renders it indistinguishable from the surrounding buildings save for a tarnished sign hanging by the door.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Still, it’s worth noting that Sink’s role has been the subject of much speculation, with fans suspecting she would play Marvel-verse X-Men telekinetic and telepath Jean Grey.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Levy's defence lawyer, Siobhan Grey, told the court that the alleged rape victim "is not telling the truth about the alleged attack and that her credibility, reliability and honesty are called into question".
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Liam Payne’s son, Bear Grey Payne, 9, has been named the sole beneficiary of the One Direction star’s $29-million estate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
I follow Melissa Clark’s chocolate olive oil cake recipe, which has always produced a moist cake that’s slightly floral in flavor, courtesy of warm Earl Grey tea that’s whisked into the batter.
From Salon ● May 10, 2026
Hizdahr’s blunder with Grey Worm had cost him the Unsullied.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Climbers returning from Everest have said the mountain was dryer and greyer now.
From Reuters ● Oct. 30, 2023
Chris Woakes conceded another five boundaries in a difficult three-over opening spell that cost 27 runs and, with every one one, his grey hairs looked greyer.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2023
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
Yes, crowds at the most expensive end of English football are greyer and more sedentary these days.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 16, 2019
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
And in Western Germany, after one of the wettest and greyest winters in 20 years, the sun was shining again, fitfully, but shining.
From Time Magazine Archive
On the other hand, there is that largeness and wildness which accord with the spring mood; and there are signs of the coming change even in the greyest weather.
From Birds and Man by Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
