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

Fresh off a romantic vacation in Mallorca, the Friends starlet was seen in Los Angeles sporting a basic grey tank top tucked into a pair of light-wash, wide-leg jeans—a late ‘90s look that Rachel Green definitely would have worn herself. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026

The detergents’ aggressive chemicals, combined with the washer’s high cleaning temperature, will eventually turn it grey or white, with a dull, non-reflective surface. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 9 Feb. 2026

Stars including Oscar nominee Teyana Taylor, Heated Rivalry's François Arnaud, and music icon Queen Latifah strutted the grey carpet before taking front-row seats for the suiting specialist's latest looks. —Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026

Surveillance footage showed a masked suspect in black fleeing with a dark grey bag. —S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for grey

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

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)

ˈgrā 

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  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