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
b
: prosaically ordinary : dull, uninteresting
… the … boring, gray dullness of government …—
P. J. O'Rourke
P. J. O'Rourke5
: 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
The investigation determined that three suspects took off from the scene in a grey 2022 Buick SUV, registered to a home in Santa Rosa.
—Brandon Downs, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Restore Sweatpants These classic grey sweatpants will surely become the cornerstone of your winter travel wardrobe with their thick, brushed terry fabric and four-way stretch design.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
This was a darker point in Bowie's career, expressed by Cordell through the use of grey, black and red in his illustrations.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
However, for years, green hydrogen has been roughly three to five times more expensive than grey hydrogen made from methane.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grey
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brandon Downs, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Restore Sweatpants These classic grey sweatpants will surely become the cornerstone of your winter travel wardrobe with their thick, brushed terry fabric and four-way stretch design.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 8 Jan. 2026
This was a darker point in Bowie's career, expressed by Cordell through the use of grey, black and red in his illustrations.
—Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
However, for years, green hydrogen has been roughly three to five times more expensive than grey hydrogen made from methane.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grey
Cite this Entry
“Grey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grey. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationBiographical Definition
Grey 1 of 4
biographical name (1)
2nd Earl 1764–1845 Charles Grey English statesman; prime minister (1830–34)
Grey
2 of 4biographical name (2)
Sir Edward 1862–1933 Viscount
Grey of Fallodon
ˈfa-lə-dᵊn 
English politician
English politician
Grey
3 of 4biographical name (3)
Lady Jane 1537–1554 titular queen of England for 9 days
Grey
4 of 4biographical name (4)
Zane 1875–1939 American novelist
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share