gray

Pluralgrays

Formsgrays, graying, grayed

1. 1
   ash-coloredadjective

   Having a color between black and white, like a rainy sky or wet stone.

   Like the color of a cloudy sky just before it rains.

   She wore a gray wool coat to the funeral.

   I left my gray gloves on the bus.

   UsageAmericans write gray. British people write grey.

   Similargrey, grayish, greyish

   Note
2. 2
   ash-colorednouncountable or uncountable

   A color that is a mix of black and white, with no other color in it.

   Like the color you get when you stir black and white paint together.

   The artist mixed a warm gray for the shadows.

   Different grays blended softly across the painting.

3. 3
   unclearadjective

   Not clearly right or wrong, and hard to judge as good or bad.

   Like a question that has no clear yes or no answer.

   The legality of the deal fell into a gray area.

   Parking on this street at night is a bit of a gray area.

   UsageMost often in a gray area.

   Similarvague, unclear, ambiguous, uncertain, fuzzy

   Oppositeclear, clear-cut, unambiguous

4. 4
   gloomyadjective

   Dull, gloomy, and without much light, like a cloudy day.

   Like a sad, cloudy day when the sun never comes out.

   It was a gray Monday with rain threatening all day.

   Her mood matched the gray winter sky outside.

   Similargloomy, dreary, dismal, bleak, dark

   Oppositebright, sunny, cheerful

   Note
5. 5
   white hairadjective

   Having gray hair from age, being old, or having to do with older people.

   Like an old man whose hair has turned the color of ash.

   By the time he retired, the old professor was gray and a little stooped.

   Years at sea had left him gray and weathered.

   UsageSay hair goes gray or turns gray.

   Similargrizzled, silver, old, aged

6. 6
   verbtransitive or intransitive

   To turn gray or make something gray, especially hair as people age, or, of a group, to get older overall.

   Like a wooden fence slowly losing its color out in the rain.

   His beard began to gray after his fortieth birthday.

   Wood left outside will gray within a few seasons.

   UsageOften in start to gray, about hair.

   Similarage, whiten

7. 7
   nouncountable

   An animal or thing that is gray in color, such as a horse or fish.

   Like calling a brown horse simply 'a brown.'

   The farmer rode a sturdy gray to market.

   Among the herd, two grays stood out from the brown horses.

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