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

• silver
• white
• grayish
• faded
• silvery
• slaty
• slate

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 first stop is the entryway, featuring a gray stone coffee table and the softest curved furniture, making the atmosphere warm and inviting. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2025

Grab it in one of 20 colors, including white, sky blue, gray, and dark green, and five sizes, ranging from a throw to an oversized king. —People Deals Team, People.com, 10 July 2025

Noun

Here is a breakdown of the sizes: Each is available in three colors: olive green, modern gray, or pearl white. —Stewart Savin, Architectural Digest, 8 July 2025

Highlights of the sale include the frill-free 1920s wedding dress that Michelle Dockery wore as Lady Mary; the harem pants that Jessica Brown Findlay donned as Lady Sybil, and Dame Maggie Smith’s dresses in light pink and dark gray. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 8 July 2025

Verb

But archaeologists have puzzled over exactly how it was made, particularly given the wide range of hues, from deep blue to gray or green. —ArsTechnica, 30 June 2025

Other southern states, such as Louisiana and Texas, are also experiencing an increase in the number of graying renters. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 June 2025

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

Rhymes for gray

• ay
• bay
• bey
• brae
• cay
• chez
• dey
• dray
• fay
• fey
• flay
• fray

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