grey

adjective

less common spelling of gray

1
a
: of the color gray
b
: tending toward gray
blue-gray eyes
c
: dull in color
2
: having gray hair
grew old and gray
3
: clothed in gray
4
a
: lacking cheer or brightness in mood, outlook, style, or flavor
also : dismal, gloomy
a gray day
b
: prosaically ordinary : dull, uninteresting
… the … boring, gray dullness of government …P. J. O'Rourke
5
: having an intermediate and often vaguely defined position, condition, or character
an ethically gray area
Usage of Gray and Grey

Gray and grey are both accepted spellings. Gray is more frequent in US English, while grey is preferred in Canada, the UK, and elsewhere.

Examples of grey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Emery is a peculiar case in management, a coach who is almost caught in the grey area between very good jobs and massive ones. Phil Hay, New York Times, 21 May 2026 While grey whales are also at risk, humpbacks are most vulnerable. ABC News, 20 May 2026 Cyber grey area That burden of proof is especially high in cyber insurance. Contessa Brewer,dawn Giel, CNBC, 19 May 2026 Inked fans can expect up to 90 tattoo artists from Orange County and surrounding areas, with a variety of styles, including traditional, realism, black and grey, neo-traditional, and fine line. Charlie Vargas, Oc Register, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for grey

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Cite this Entry

“Grey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grey. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

grey

variant of gray

Medical Definition

grey, greyout

chiefly British variant of gray, grayout

Biographical Definition

Grey 1 of 4

biographical name (1)

2nd Earl 1764–1845 Charles Grey English statesman; prime minister (1830–34)

Grey

2 of 4

biographical name (2)

Sir Edward 1862–1933 Viscount Grey of Fallodon ˈfa-lə-dᵊn How to pronounce Grey (audio) English politician

Grey

3 of 4

biographical name (3)

Lady Jane 1537–1554 titular queen of England for 9 days

Grey

4 of 4

biographical name (4)

Zane 1875–1939 American novelist

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