grey-haired

IPA/ˌɡreɪ ˈheəd/
IPA/ˌɡreɪ ˈherd/

grey-haired — adjective

1. describes a person whose hair has turned grey or white, usually because they are

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person whose hair has turned grey or white, usually because they are getting older

Example

Evelyn, now grey-haired and in her seventies, still walks to the market every morning.

predicative use after a comma

The grey-haired woman at the shoe shop helped Amihan find the right size.

attributive use before a noun

Common collocations
  • grey-haired lady
  • grey-haired man
  • grey-haired woman
  • grey-haired gentleman
  • turn grey-haired
  • become grey-haired
  • go grey-haired
Synonyms
  • white-haired

    more precise when hair is fully white rather than mixed grey

  • silver-haired

    more poetic or flattering tone

  • grizzled

    usually describes a mix of grey and dark hair on men, especially in facial hair

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

grey-haired + noun

be + grey-haired

Usage Note

Commonly used predicatively (after be/become/look) or attributively (before a noun). The spelling grey-haired follows British English; American English prefers gray-haired.

Common Mistakes

She is a grey hair woman.
She is a grey-haired woman.
The compound adjective needs a hyphen and the -ed suffix.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Grey-haired is the most neutral and commonly used adjective for hair that has lost its original colour with age. White-haired is more specific — it suggests hair that is fully white rather than streaked with grey. Silver-haired carries a complimentary or literary tone, often used to describe someone whose grey hair looks attractive or distinguished. Grizzled is narrower: it usually describes a mix of grey and dark hair, and is most often applied to men, especially to facial or head hair. For example: 'a grey-haired teacher' is a simple factual description; 'a silver-haired poet' suggests elegance; 'a grizzled old sailor' evokes toughness and a rugged appearance.

grey-haired ↗white-haired ↗silver-hairedgrizzled ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • prematurely grey-haired
  • completely grey-haired
  • mostly grey-haired
  • fully grey-haired

Phrases

  • grey-haired and wrinkled
  • tall and grey-haired
  • grey-haired but still active

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed from grey (Old English grǣg, referring to the colour between black and white) + hair (Old English hǣr, meaning a strand growing from the skin) + the suffix -ed (meaning 'having'). The compound has been used since at least the 1500s to describe people whose hair has turned grey with age.