grey
grey — 形容詞
1. having the colour that results from mixing black and white, like the colour of a
灰色的
黑白混合而成的顏色
having the colour that results from mixing black and white, like the colour of an elephant's skin or a cloudy sky
Ife wore a grey sweater to the office party last night.
Ife 昨晚穿著一件灰色毛衣去參加公司的派對。
The old stone wall had turned a soft grey colour over the years.
那座老石牆經過多年風吹日曬，已經變成柔和的灰色。
grey + noun (stone wall, colour)
Constanza painted her bedroom walls a light grey to match the furniture.
Constanza 為了搭配家具，把臥室牆壁漆成了淺灰色。
A grey cat sat quietly on the wooden fence in the backyard.
一隻灰色的貓靜靜地坐在後院的木籬笆上。
The museum shop sold scarves in shades of grey and white.
那間博物館的禮品店有賣灰色和白色系列的圍巾。
2. relating to hair that is no longer its original colour but has turned to white o
灰白的
頭髮因年老而變白的
relating to hair that is no longer its original colour but has turned to white or grey shades, most often due to ageing
Haruto's father is quite young but already has grey hair at the sides.
Haruto 的父親年紀還輕，但兩側的頭髮已經花白了。
grey hair
Tara noticed more grey strands in her mother's hair each time she visited.
Tara 每次回家都發現母親頭上的白髮又多了幾根。
The grey-haired man at the corner shop always greets customers with a smile.
轉角雜貨店那個白髮蒼蒼的老先生總是微笑著招呼客人。
Walid's beard started turning grey when he was in his late forties.
Walid 的鬍子在他將近五十歲的時候開始變白。
The family photo showed three generations, from black hair to full grey.
那張全家福拍出了三代人，從黑髮到滿頭白髮都有。
用法筆記
Often used with a possessive before the noun (his grey hair, her grey beard). Can also appear in the compound adjective 'grey-haired' before a noun. Frequently carries no negative connotation — simply a neutral observation of ageing.
3. relating to the sky or the weather at times when thick cloud cover blocks out su
陰暗的
天空多雲光線不足的
relating to the sky or the weather at times when thick cloud cover blocks out sunlight, making the day appear dim
The sky was grey and heavy with rain clouds all morning.
整個早上天空灰濛濛的，佈滿了烏雲。
grey sky for cloudy weather
On a grey winter afternoon, the city looked quiet and still.
在一個陰沉的冬日午後，這座城市顯得安靜而沉滯。
Putri decided to stay home because the weather was cold and grey.
Putri 因為天氣又冷又陰暗，決定待在家裡。
Despite the grey sky, the children played outside in the garden.
儘管天空灰暗，孩子們仍然在花園裡玩耍。
用法筆記
Typically describes the sky or the general weather, not specific rain events. A 'grey' day can be dry but overcast. Often paired with 'cold', 'dull', or 'wet'.
4. lacking interest, variety, or brightness of mood; making you feel dull or slight
沉悶的
單調乏味令人提不起勁的
lacking interest, variety, or brightness of mood; making you feel dull or slightly unhappy
Life in the small mining town felt grey and empty after the factory closed.
那座礦業小鎮在工廠關閉後，生活變得灰暗而空虛。
The novel describes the grey reality of office life with no excitement at all.
這本小說描寫了辦公室生活沉悶乏味的現實，毫無激情可言。
grey + abstract noun (reality, life, existence)
The report painted a grey picture of the company's future earnings.
這份報告描繪了公司未來收入黯淡的前景。
Ingrid tried to hide her grey mood, but her silence gave it away.
Ingrid 想隱藏自己低落的心情，但她的沉默洩露了一切。
The children found the museum tour grey and kept asking when it would end.
孩子們覺得博物館的導覽很無聊，一直問什麼時候結束。
- dull
very similar; focuses on lack of excitement or sharpness
- gloomy
stronger negative feeling; suggests sadness or hopelessness
- bleak
strongest of the group; suggests a hopeless, unwelcoming situation
- colourless
focuses on lack of distinctive character or personality
用法筆記
Used metaphorically — the speaker compares a situation, mood, or thing to the unexciting colour grey. Common in phrases like 'a grey existence' or 'grey outlook'. Slightly more literary than 'boring' but less intense than 'bleak'.
常見錯誤
5. having a position, nature, or character that falls between two clear categories
模糊的
界線不明確的中間狀態
having a position, nature, or character that falls between two clear categories and is therefore hard to classify or judge clearly
The new regulations operate in a grey area between legal and illegal.
這項新規定處於合法與非法之間的模糊地帶。
grey area (most common fixed phrase for this sense)
Aarav's responsibilities at work fall into a grey zone between assistant and manager.
Aarav 的工作職責處於助理和經理之間的模糊地帶。
The border region remains a grey, disputed territory claimed by both countries.
這片邊境地區是一個主權歸屬模糊、兩國都有爭議的土地。
Eli's answer was purposely grey — neither a clear yes nor a definite no.
Eli 的回答刻意含糊其辭，既不是明確的同意，也不是拒絕。
用法筆記
Most commonly appears in the fixed phrase 'grey area' (or US 'gray area'). Can describe legal, ethical, social, or categorical uncertainty. The adjective alone ('grey answer', 'grey position') is less common but acceptable in formal writing.
grey — 名詞
1. the neutral shade you get by blending black and white, similar to the tint of cl
灰色
黑白混合而成的顏色
the neutral shade you get by blending black and white, similar to the tint of clouds before rain or a donkey's coat
The artist mixed black and white paint to create different shades of grey.
藝術家將黑白顏料混合，調出深淺不同的灰色。
shades of grey
Liam chose a soft grey for the living room walls to create a calm atmosphere.
Liam 選擇了柔和的灰色粉刷客廳牆壁，營造寧靜的氛圍。
In the old photograph, the bright colours had faded to grey over the years.
在那張老照片中，鮮豔的色彩經過多年已經褪成了灰色。
The fashion magazine said grey is the new neutral for autumn outfits.
那本時尚雜誌說灰色是今年秋季穿搭的中性新選擇。
- greyness
the quality or state of being grey; more abstract
用法筆記
Uncountable when referring to the colour in general ('Grey is my favourite colour'). Countable in the plural when referring to specific shades ('The painting uses many greys'). In British English the spelling is 'grey'; American English prefers 'gray'.
grey — 動詞
1. when a person's hair turns to a white or grey shade, happening little by little
變灰
頭髮逐漸變白的過程
when a person's hair turns to a white or grey shade, happening little by little as part of the natural ageing process
Christopher's hair began to grey when he was only thirty-two years old.
Christopher 才三十二歲，頭髮就開始花白了。
begin/start to grey
The old fisherman's beard had greyed slowly over decades at sea.
老漁夫的鬍子在數十年的海上生活中逐漸變白。
As she aged, her long dark hair greyed at the temples first.
隨著年齡增長，她那頭烏黑的長髮先從鬢角開始斑白。
My grandmother is greying beautifully and says she has earned every white strand.
我的祖母白髮的樣子很好看，她說每一根白髮都是她掙來的。
文法句型
grey (no object)
is greying
用法筆記
Intransitive only — you cannot 'grey your hair' (that would be 'dye your hair grey'). Often used in continuous form ('is greying') to describe a gradual process. Subject can be a person ('He is greying') or their hair specifically ('His hair is greying').
常見錯誤
2. if the members of a group or population are greying, the average age of the grou
老化
人口中老年人比例增加
if the members of a group or population are greying, the average age of the group is rising because it contains more older people than before
The workforce in Japan has greyed significantly over the past twenty years.
日本的勞動力在過去二十年間顯著地高齡化了。
greying workforce / greying population
As the population greys, the government must spend more on healthcare and pensions.
隨著人口老化，政府必須在醫療和退休金上投入更多經費。
Rural villages across Spain are greying as young people move to the cities.
西班牙的鄉村地區因為年輕人移入城市而不斷老化。
The university's staff is greying, with many professors near retirement age.
這所大學的教職員趨向高齡化，許多教授已接近退休年齡。
- age
simpler and more common; can describe any group getting older
- ageing (population)
the standard noun phrase for this demographic trend
文法句型
population/nation + is greying
用法筆記
Almost always used in continuous tenses ('is greying', 'has been greying'). The subject is a group, organisation, or population — not an individual person. Very common in policy discussions about demographic change. The noun form 'the greying of [population]' is also frequent.