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
Morgan McFall-Johnsen2
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
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
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
Eleesha LockettVaseline has long been a staple in Black medicine cabinets, healing everything from chapped lips to ashy elbows.—Angela Johnson
Angela JohnsonExcessively 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
Jennifer FordExamples of ashy in a Sentence
paramedics knew she was in shock because she was ashy and shaking
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin Durant knows about the memes that have spotlighted his ashy legs.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Plus, experts say the self-cleaning feature does effectively do the dirty work, turning hard-to-scrub spills into ashy scraps that are easy to wipe clean with a wet sponge.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
Unlike other bleach treatments, buttercream blonde won’t read cool-toned or ashy, but taking the right measures to maintain that balanced warmth is critical.
—Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 10 Feb. 2026
Still, plenty miss the mark with streaky finishes, ashy undertones (on my olive-leaning skin), or color that fades after a few days.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
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Zach Harper, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Plus, experts say the self-cleaning feature does effectively do the dirty work, turning hard-to-scrub spills into ashy scraps that are easy to wipe clean with a wet sponge.
—Jessica Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
Unlike other bleach treatments, buttercream blonde won’t read cool-toned or ashy, but taking the right measures to maintain that balanced warmth is critical.
—Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, 10 Feb. 2026
Still, plenty miss the mark with streaky finishes, ashy undertones (on my olive-leaning skin), or color that fades after a few days.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ashy
Cite this Entry
“Ashy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ashy. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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