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

Researchers currently believe dogs were first domesticated from grey wolves toward the end of the last Ice Age, and were the first animals to enter into a domestic relationship with humans, the study states. —Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026

Deep meadows lush with vibrant prairie bluebells, gushing water, and resplendent valleys snuggled between giant, slate grey walls top off this classic adventure. —Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026

Dogs were domesticated from grey wolves between 32,000 and 11,000 years ago, towards the end of the most recent ice age. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Mar. 2026

And these situations may fall into some legal grey areas due to the unprecedented nature of immigration agents being deployed to airports. —Laura Bassett, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 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