- having the colour of smoke or ashes
- grey eyes/hair
- Her hair was turning grey.
- His beard was going grey.
- wisps of grey smoke
- a grey suit
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- uniformly
- very
- quite
- …
- dark
- light
- pale
- …
- (of the sky or weather) not bright; full of clouds
- grey skies
- I hate these grey days.
- The sky looks very grey. I think it's going to rain.
- [not usually before noun] having grey hair
- He's gone very grey.
Extra ExamplesTopics Appearancea1, Life stagesa1- She was completely grey by the age of thirty.
- He'd turned quite grey.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- go
- turn
- …
- very
- quite
- slightly
- …
- (of a person’s skin colour) pale, because they are ill, tired or sad
- The next morning she looked very grey and hollow-eyed.
- His face was grey with pain.
- without interest or variety; making you feel sad
- Life seems grey and pointless without him.
- (disapproving) not interesting or attractive
- The company was full of faceless grey men who all looked the same.
Extra Examples- She had to talk to some grey under-secretary from the Ministry.
- Ours is a company that isn't run by grey men in suits.
- It is thought of as a city of grey bureaucracy.
- [only before noun] connected with old people
- the grey vote
- grey power
Word OriginOld English grǣg, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch grauw and German grau.
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grey