groengrijs

Groengrijs is a Dutch color term used to describe a desaturated hue that lies between green and gray. In practice, groengrijs denotes a muted, cool green with gray undertones, and the exact shade can vary by context, material, and lighting. The word is a compound of groen (green) and grijs (gray). It is not an official color name in international color systems such as Pantone, RGB, or CMYK, but it appears in Dutch-language design literature, paint catalogs, and color charts to convey a specific mood—earthy, understated, and versatile.

In painting and interior design, groengrijs is used to describe both pigments and finished surfaces that read as olive-greenish gray, often associated with natural tones such as moss, weathered stone, or foliage under overcast skies. The tone can range from darker, almost olive-gray to lighter, pale sage-like hues, depending on the amount of green versus gray and the presence of blue undertones. Because it is a descriptive term rather than a standardized color name, its exact perception varies by brand and medium.

In Dutch contexts, groengrijs may appear in museum catalogs, art textbooks, and home-improvement or interior-design paint palettes. Outside the Dutch-speaking world, the term is less common, with similar colors typically described as olive gray, sage green, or muted olive.