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
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
Lauren Frayer, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
On one hand, companies that enable gray-zone transactions face heightened scrutiny.
—Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Black and marginally lighter grays define the bulk of the shoe, including the suede and mesh that form the top of the upper.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2025
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Prior to his drastic hair transformation, Sutter embraced his graying roots and a long crew cut.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gray
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Adjective
Mary Anne MacLeod grew up in a suburb, a village called Tong — really just a cluster of houses, including the early 20th century squat gray stucco bungalow that was her family's home.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
On one hand, companies that enable gray-zone transactions face heightened scrutiny.
—Ilona Limonta-Volkova, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
Scoop one up in one of the brand’s signature colors, ranging from vibrant blues, yellows, and reds to neutral white, navy, and grays.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Black and marginally lighter grays define the bulk of the shoe, including the suede and mesh that form the top of the upper.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
Psilocybin encourages hair growth and discourages graying in mice.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Prior to his drastic hair transformation, Sutter embraced his graying roots and a long crew cut.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gray
Cite this Entry
“Gray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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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