gray

1 of 4

adjective

ˈgrā 

variants or less commonly grey

1

a

: of the color gray

b

: tending toward gray

blue-gray eyes

c

: dull in color

2

: having the hair gray : hoary

3

: clothed in gray

4

a

: lacking cheer or brightness in mood, outlook, style, or flavor

also : dismal, gloomy

a gray day

b

: prosaically ordinary : dull, uninteresting

the boring, gray dullness of government

—P. J. O'Rourke

5

: having an intermediate and often vaguely defined position, condition, or character

an ethically gray area

grayly adverb

grayness noun

gray

2 of 4

noun (1)

variants or less commonly grey

1

: any of a series of neutral colors ranging between black and white

2

: something (such as an animal, garment, cloth, or spot) of a gray color

3

a

: a soldier in the Confederate army during the American Civil War

b

often capitalized : the Confederate army

gray

3 of 4

verb

variants or less commonly grey

grayed also greyed; graying also greying; grays also greys

intransitive verb

1

: to become gray

2

: age

also : to contain an increasing percentage of older people

The town's population has grayed over the last two decades.

transitive verb

: to make gray

gray

4 of 4

noun (2)

: the mks unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to an energy of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material

—abbreviation Gy

Synonyms

Adjective

• argentine
• grayish
• leaden
• pewter
• silver
• silvery
• slate
• slaty
• slatey
• steely

Examples of gray in a Sentence

Adjective

What will you do when you are old and gray?

My friends have all gone gray.

It was a gray winter day.

the gray faces of the people in the crowd

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The new phones will be available in black, silver, gray and rose gold. —Jonathan Limehouse, The Courier-Journal, 10 Sep. 2024

For everyday attire, the tones of the upper-crust tend to stay in the color lanes of burgundy, gray, and black. —Tiffany Leigh, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

Noun

All is soft shades of gray with a subtle ID logo, the collection includes a convertible glove that can be worn short or to the elbow, and a hoodie-scarf hybrid that ticks the headwear box. —Rhonda Richford, WWD, 9 Sep. 2024

Available in 19 colors and patterns, including blue and Jolie-worn gray, this on-sale wrap dress’ V-neckline, keyhole back cutout, and batwing sleeves add a bit of fashion flair to the typical closet staple. —Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024

Verb

But in Japan, which is facing the challenges of a graying population, fewer full-time jobs and stagnant wages, restaurant operators must also grapple with rising costs and worker shortages. —Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024

The graying population is going to have a long-term effect on equity performance, according to an analysis by JPMorgan. —Michelle Fox, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun (1), and Verb

Middle English, from Old English grǣg; akin to Old High German grīs, grāo gray

Noun (2)

Louis H. Gray †1965 British radiobiologist

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

1975, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing gray

• African gray
• gray area
• gray birch
• gray eminence
• gray fox
• gray literature
• gray market
• gray matter
• gray out
• gray rabbitbrush
• gray rat snake
• gray scale
• gray squirrel
• gray water
• gray whale
• gray wolf
• iron gray
• pearl gray
• slate gray

Kids Definition

gray

1 of 2 adjective

variants also grey

ˈgrā

1

: of the color gray

also : dull in color

2

: having gray hair

3

: lacking cheer or brightness : dismal

a gray day

grayness noun

gray

2 of 2 noun

variants also grey

1

: one of the series of neutral colors ranging between black and white

2

: something gray

gray verb

grayish

ˈgrā-ish

adjective

Medical Definition

gray

1 of 2 noun

variants or chiefly British grey

ˈgrā 

: any of a series of neutral colors ranging between black and white

gray adjective

or chiefly British grey

gray

2 of 2 noun

ˈgrā 

: the mks unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to an energy of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material

—abbreviation Gy

Biographical Definition

Gray 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈgrā 

Asa 1810–1888 American botanist

Gray

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Thomas 1716–1771 English poet