# cray

/ˈkɹeɪ/ (US) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/cray
Updated: 2026-05-11

## Definition

a shorter way to say 'crazy'. You use it to describe something that is wild, strange, or very surprising.

For teachers: a clipped form of 'crazy' used to describe something as wild, bizarre, or extreme. Often used in the reduplicated form 'cray cray' for emphasis.

## Examples

- That party last night was totally cray.
- I cannot believe he actually quit his job without a backup plan; that is just cray.
- The sheer volume of traffic during the holiday weekend was absolutely cray, turning a simple three-hour drive into a day-long ordeal.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He is a cray person." but "He is cray." — In modern slang, this word is almost always used as a predicative adjective after a verb, rather than before a noun.

## Usage notes

- Often follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'get'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.