grey

A2 · Elementary British English

adj. having hair that has turned white or silver because of age.

adj. having hair that has lost its pigment, typically due to the aging process.

“My father started going grey when he was only thirty years old.”

“Although he was relatively young, the stress of the position had left him noticeably grey at the temples.”

B1 · Intermediate British English

adj. boring, sad, or without any bright features.

adj. characterised by a lack of interest, spirit, or cheer; dismal and monotonous.

“It was a grey, rainy afternoon with nothing fun to do.”

“The novel depicts the grey, repetitive existence of a clerk working in a vast bureaucracy during the mid-twentieth century.”

A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun British English

n. the actual colour between black and white.

n. an achromatic colour intermediate between black and white; a neutral hue.

“She dressed entirely in grey to look professional for the interview.”

“The artist used various shades of grey to create a sense of depth and shadow without using any actual pigment.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate British English

v. to become grey, especially when talking about hair or the sky.

v. to become grey or to cause something to become grey; often used intransitively regarding hair or weather.

“As the sun went down, the sky began to grey.”

“The population of the island has continued to grey as younger residents move to the mainland for work.”