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
b
: prosaically ordinary : dull, uninteresting
the boring, gray dullness of government—
P. J. O'Rourke
P. J. O'Rourke5
: having an intermediate and often vaguely defined position, condition, or character
an ethically gray area
grayly
adverb
grayness
noun
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
variants
or less commonly grey
grayed also greyed; graying also greying; grays also greys
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.
: to make gray
: the mks unit of absorbed dose of ionizing radiation equal to an energy of one joule per kilogram of irradiated material
—abbreviation Gy
Synonyms
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 WebCatherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2024
The gray synthetic leather seats have stitching that matches the body color, a feature usually found in more expensive cars.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune Asia, 13 May 2024
Its durable material is both waterproof and fade-resistant, so its contents will stay protected while the exterior maintains its matte gray finish.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024
Cartier Tonal gray hues create an elegant look for the new Santos de Cartier Dual Time in steel; price upon request, at Cartier, Beverly Hills and cartier.com.
—Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2024
She was last seen wearing a gray sleeveless top, black pants and white tennis shoes.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2024
As in donning that old black pajama set, day after gray rainy day, this past L.A. winter.
—Mariam Rahmani, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
The third suspect was described as having a medium build and wearing a gray sweatshirt and black pants, also with a handgun.
—Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2024
Nancy then snatched Jaycee into the backseat of their gray car, hiding her under a blanket and speeding off.
—Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2024
Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2024
In their place: several three-story buildings have emerged, painted different shades of gray with splashes of the aforementioned colors accented on doors and the facade.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 12 May 2024
Despite forecasts both days that called for clear skies by mid-afternoon, San Diego’s May gray was omnipresent and the temperature rarely rose above 70 degrees.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2024
Adding to the exterior business are kaleidoscopic Star Map taillights and gunmetal gray trim along the front, back, and side bottom edges of the vehicle.
—PCMAG, 11 May 2024
About 74% of us will see our first silver strands pop up between the ages of 45 and 65, though many see their first grays pop up as young as their 20s or even in their teens.
—Amy Eisinger, Allure, 8 May 2024
Skinny Mo's Jazz Club, a former 20th-century home, has been redone in smart gray with Art Deco signage, a bistro, a boutique, and a jazz bar, all while keeping the home's old floor plan intact.
—Diya Kohli, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2024
The outer layers are a dark gray while the inner section is a lighter gray.
—Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
The dining room is done in muted grays with several seating areas.
—Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Max Gao, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
According to Ayurveda, this means that the Kansa is doing its job, and the graying effect can be washed off easily with a warm washcloth.
—Isabella Ubaldi, Health, 20 Mar. 2024
While great whites are typically white on their stomachs and gray on their backs, this shark was a surprising shade of white — its skin covered in a strange, milky substance.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
Morning sunshine gives way to gray skies in the midday and afternoon.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Among the doctors who came to see Johnson was Todd Ivey, a tall man with graying hair.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2024
Other factors, aside from the natural aging process, can trigger hair to gray too.
—Cathryne Keller, SELF, 15 Mar. 2024
Young couples and graying ones, families with kids, students, city commissioners and Jayhawks fans.
—Anne Brockhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
Social media video emerged of the tornado looming eerily against graying skies at dusk.
—Scott Dance, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Dotting the white walls with gray trim and accents throughout the building are black-and-white photos showcasing the history of Lance in Charlotte.
—Catherine Muccigrosso, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2024
The gray synthetic leather seats have stitching that matches the body color, a feature usually found in more expensive cars.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune Asia, 13 May 2024
Its durable material is both waterproof and fade-resistant, so its contents will stay protected while the exterior maintains its matte gray finish.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024
Cartier Tonal gray hues create an elegant look for the new Santos de Cartier Dual Time in steel; price upon request, at Cartier, Beverly Hills and cartier.com.
—Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 May 2024
She was last seen wearing a gray sleeveless top, black pants and white tennis shoes.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2024
As in donning that old black pajama set, day after gray rainy day, this past L.A. winter.
—Mariam Rahmani, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
The third suspect was described as having a medium build and wearing a gray sweatshirt and black pants, also with a handgun.
—Journal Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2024
Nancy then snatched Jaycee into the backseat of their gray car, hiding her under a blanket and speeding off.
—Lynsey Eidell, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2024
Noun
Last but not least is Benjamin Moore Paper White, which is a really soft, pale gray.
—Eleni N. Gage, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 May 2024
In their place: several three-story buildings have emerged, painted different shades of gray with splashes of the aforementioned colors accented on doors and the facade.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 12 May 2024
Despite forecasts both days that called for clear skies by mid-afternoon, San Diego’s May gray was omnipresent and the temperature rarely rose above 70 degrees.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 May 2024
Adding to the exterior business are kaleidoscopic Star Map taillights and gunmetal gray trim along the front, back, and side bottom edges of the vehicle.
—PCMAG, 11 May 2024
About 74% of us will see our first silver strands pop up between the ages of 45 and 65, though many see their first grays pop up as young as their 20s or even in their teens.
—Amy Eisinger, Allure, 8 May 2024
Skinny Mo's Jazz Club, a former 20th-century home, has been redone in smart gray with Art Deco signage, a bistro, a boutique, and a jazz bar, all while keeping the home's old floor plan intact.
—Diya Kohli, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2024
The outer layers are a dark gray while the inner section is a lighter gray.
—Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 16 Apr. 2024
The dining room is done in muted grays with several seating areas.
—Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
In Slaughter’s novels, Will is described as white, tall and lanky with short dirty-blond hair; Rodríguez, on the other hand, is of medium build with brown skin and dark, graying hair.
—Max Gao, NBC News, 30 Apr. 2024
According to Ayurveda, this means that the Kansa is doing its job, and the graying effect can be washed off easily with a warm washcloth.
—Isabella Ubaldi, Health, 20 Mar. 2024
While great whites are typically white on their stomachs and gray on their backs, this shark was a surprising shade of white — its skin covered in a strange, milky substance.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
Morning sunshine gives way to gray skies in the midday and afternoon.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024
Among the doctors who came to see Johnson was Todd Ivey, a tall man with graying hair.
—Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2024
Other factors, aside from the natural aging process, can trigger hair to gray too.
—Cathryne Keller, SELF, 15 Mar. 2024
Young couples and graying ones, families with kids, students, city commissioners and Jayhawks fans.
—Anne Brockhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
Social media video emerged of the tornado looming eerily against graying skies at dusk.
—Scott Dance, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
gray
1 of 2 noun
variants
or chiefly British grey
: any of a series of neutral colors ranging between black and white
gray
adjective
or chiefly British grey
gray
2 of 2 noun
: 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
2 of 2biographical name (2)
Thomas 1716–1771 English poet
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