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
The sun may be hiding behind grey clouds, but for hundreds of people in flowing red dresses dancing on Yorkshire moorland it'll take more than a threat of rain to dampen their spirits.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The two European grey wolves travelled to New Forest Wildlife Park, in Hampshire, from zoos in Europe and will live in a new purpose-built enclosure.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Sometimes, the answer lies in those messier grey areas.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
The horizon is lost in a grey mist.
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Queen Elizabeth II's sister Princess Margaret also made a cameo in 1984, when she was a surprise guest at a fundraising fashion show for the NSPCC, in the ballroom of Ambridge's local hotel Grey Gables.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The tall stems of daisies bend above the delicate petals of peonies on a Raspberry Yogurt Basil Cake; a single nasturtium blossom tops an Earl Grey Butterfly Pea Ginger Mini Cake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Founded by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver, Point Grey Pictures has had a successful awards season with its comedic hit, “The Studio.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
Buoyed by her win, Kish released her first cookbook in 2017 and opened the Austin restaurant Arlo Grey in 2018.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
The bone was beyond him, though, so he tossed it to the dogs and watched Grey Jeyne make off with it whilst Sara and Willow snapped at her heels.
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
She is eight years younger than him, but far greyer.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 19, 2020
"I'm getting out of here," the father said, greyer than ever now.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
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
I was gluing my nose against the glass of a very small and dimly lit toy shop in one of the greyest and leanest of the streets of Battersea.
From Tremendous Trifles by Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith)
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.
