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
Synonyms
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
Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
The chill guy in question is a cartoon image of an anthropomorphic dog wearing a gray sweater, blue jeans and red shoes.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2024
Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
For the occasion, Comer wore an oversized, double-breasted blazer in charcoal gray with a Prada jumpsuit.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
Reuters, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
Japan's super-aged society continues to gray, with 29.3 percent of its population now aged 65 or older, the highest rate of any country worldwide, according to a Japanese statistics bureau report released to mark Respect for the Aged Day on September 15.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gray 
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Adjective
Traffic camera footage at 67th and Orangewood avenues showed two gray sedans speeding down the road a little after noon.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024
The chill guy in question is a cartoon image of an anthropomorphic dog wearing a gray sweater, blue jeans and red shoes.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
But there are lessons; amid the gray, there is one thing that is clear, says Mason.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024
For the occasion, Comer wore an oversized, double-breasted blazer in charcoal gray with a Prada jumpsuit.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
The graying hair has been preserved in a locket that was given to a family friend and passed down the generations.
—Reuters, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
Japan's super-aged society continues to gray, with 29.3 percent of its population now aged 65 or older, the highest rate of any country worldwide, according to a Japanese statistics bureau report released to mark Respect for the Aged Day on September 15.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gray
Articles Related to gray
Dictionary Entries Near gray
Cite this Entry
“Gray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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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