ashy

adjective

ˈa-shē 

ashier; ashiest

1

: covered with or containing ashes

ashy smoke

ashy residue

ashy soil

the ashy remains of the burned building

… the forest opened up into a giant burn scar, with the blackened skeletons of trees stretching down an ashy hillside.

—Morgan McFall-Johnsen

2

a

: suggestive of or resembling ashes (as in color)

ashy grays

an ashy smell/taste

She wore her hair down in long ashy blonde waves that reached her hips.

—Alyssa K. Davis

especially : very pale (as from fright or illness) : ashen

Symptoms that clinicians should advise their patients to look out for include slowed breathing and skin turning ashy or blue.

—Maya Yang

b

African American English : of or relating to the grayish or whitish appearance of very dry skin

—used especially to describe this condition in people with a skin pigmentation that is darker than what is typically considered white (see white entry 1 sense 2a)

Ashy skin is caused by a lack of moisture, which leaves your skin dehydrated. It can appear on essentially any part of your skin. It's also common for the skin on your arms, legs, and face to become dehydrated and ashy.

—Eleesha Lockett

Vaseline has long been a staple in Black medicine cabinets, healing everything from chapped lips to ashy elbows.

—Angela Johnson

Excessively cleaning my hands could result in dry, cracked skin, but I've been able to prevent them from becoming chapped and ashy with my arsenal of moisturizing hand creams and balms.

—Jennifer Ford

Synonyms

• pallid
• pale
• ashen
• paled

Examples of ashy in a Sentence

paramedics knew she was in shock because she was ashy and shaking

Recent Examples on the Web

Satellite imagery shows six deep holes in the ground around Fordo, and ashy debris over much of the site. —Geoff Brumfiel, NPR, 22 June 2025

From the east, everything looked blue — ashy, cool-toned silhouettes of what still stood. —Loren Elliott, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025

The skin may look dull, ashy, flaky, or have a sandpaper-like texture.2 This dryness can spread across the arms, legs, or upper body. —Health, 11 May 2025

The lightweight, fragrance-free lotion leaves a soft, invisible finish that isn’t greasy or ashy, and it’s boosted with five antioxidants, including vitamin E and C, to defend against long-term UV damage. —Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 26 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ashy

• flashy
• trashy

Kids Definition

ashy

adjective

ˈash-ē 

ashier; ashiest

1

: of, relating to, or resembling ashes

2

: ashen sense 2