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

The exterior of the building will be made of mostly stucco with pops of color including blue, green and grey, Schwartz said. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026

Here, one guest styled a navy satin skirt with a grey button-down featuring exaggerated sleeves and white heels, striking the perfect balance between classic and statement-making. —Amanda Le, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026

There are grey areas, but the practice was meant to eliminate them, while establishing parameters for when to pressure and when to sit back. —Arpon Basu, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026

Cincinnati has cheaper lodging, but attendance would plummet under grey Ohio winters. —Bob Marshall, Denver Post, 8 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