of a color between white and black; having a neutral hue.
dark, dismal, or gloomy.
gray skies.
dull, dreary, or monotonous.
having gray hair; gray-headed.
pertaining to old age; mature.
Informal. pertaining to, involving, or composed of older persons.
gray households.
old or ancient.
indeterminate and intermediate in character.
The tax audit concentrated on deductions in the gray area between purely personal and purely business expenses.
any achromatic color; any color with zero chroma, intermediate between white and black.
something of this color.
gray material or clothing.
to dress in gray.
an unbleached and undyed condition.
(often initial capital letter) a member of the Confederate army in the American Civil War or the army itself.
a horse of a gray color.
a horse that appears white but is not an albino.
Asa 1810–88, U.S. botanist.
Robert, 1755–1806, U.S. explorer and sea captain: discovered the Columbia River.
Thomas, 1716–71, English poet.
What’s the difference between gray and grey? Gray and grey are simply different spellings of the same word, which refers to the color halfway between black and white (among other more figurative meanings). In popular use, the two spellings are used interchangeably, though one spelling is often preferred in many places. The spelling gray is much more common in American English, while grey is more common in British English. Remember: spell gray with an a in America, and spell grey with an e in England (among other places). Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between gray and grey.
First recorded before 900; Middle English grei, grai, Old English grǣg, grēg; cognate with German grau, Old Norse grār
First recorded in 1975; named in honor of Louis Harold Gray (1905–65), English radiobiologist
Because the color gray is between black and white — actually a mix of the two — it is often used to denote something dull or monotonous. When the sun comes out after a long stretch of gray days, you suddenly feel alive again. Everybody to the beach! You might feel old when you see your gray hairs, but I think they make you look wise and distinguished. Because gray is dull and indistinct, you can refer to something not quite clear as being "in a gray area." You often find some gray area between right and wrong . . . especially when you are accused of doing something wrong. Don’t worry about the British spelling "grey": it’s interchangeable with the American English spelling.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And, despite still being in a legal gray zone, it’s finally launched – with creative director, comedian, and chief Jones impersonator Tim Heidecker at the helm.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
When Amanda Ly first started dating her husband, Steven Leventoff, in 2018, she did not want to touch his gray tabby, Jaboo.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
On the first day of the hearing, which is scheduled to last all week, Robinson appeared in court in handcuffs, wearing a gray suit and a dark tie.
From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026
Using the MRI scans, they measured the volume of gray matter and white matter in each participant's brain while accounting for differences in overall brain size.
From Science Daily • Jul. 1, 2026
Two others were already in the back seat, a soldier and a woman with a gaunt gray face.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
