gray

¹gray

adjective \ˈgrā\

Definition of GRAY

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

5

: having an intermediate and often vaguely defined position, condition, or character <an ethically gray area>

— gray·ly adverb

— gray·ness noun

Variants of GRAY

gray also grey \ˈgrā\

Examples of GRAY

1. What will you do when you are old and gray?
2. My friends have all gone gray.
3. It was a gray winter day.
4. the gray faces of the people in the crowd

Origin of GRAY

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to GRAY

Synonyms

argentine, grayish, leaden, pewter, silver, silvery, slate, slaty (also slatey), steely

Antonyms

bright, cheerful, cheering, cheery, comforting, cordial, festive, friendly, gay, heartwarming, sunshiny

Related Words

achromatic, colorless, neutral; dirty, dull, faded, sad, washed-out; ashen, ashy, chalky, livid, mousy (or mousey), pale, palish, white, whitish; chocolate, dun, sandy, sepia; brindled (or brindle), grizzled, hoar, hoary

Near Antonyms

ablaze, bright, deep, gay, rich; chromatic, colored; colorful, motley, multicolored, polychromatic, polychrome, varicolored, variegated

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

²gray

noun

Definition of GRAY

1

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

2

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

3

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

b often capitalized : the Confederate army

Variants of GRAY

gray also grey

First Known Use of GRAY

13th century

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

³gray

verb

Definition of GRAY

transitive verb

: to make gray

intransitive verb

1

: to become gray

2

: age; also : to contain an increasing percentage of older people

Variants of GRAY

gray also grey

First Known Use of GRAY

14th century

⁴gray

noun

Definition of GRAY

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

Origin of GRAY

Louis H. Gray †1965 British radiobiologist

First Known Use: 1975

Gray

biographical name \ˈgrā\

Definition of GRAY

Asa 1810–1888 Am. botanist

Gray

biographical name

Definition of GRAY

Thomas 1716–1771 Eng. poet