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gray

gray

100 1.0
A neutral color between black and white like a cloudy sky
  • noun
  • /ɡreɪ/
  • US
: gris
  • She decided to buy a sleek gray dress for the wedding to match the color theme.
  • shades of gray
  • dark gray
  • light gray

So we got them in Gray, same shoes.

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Examples

  • I was thinking about that barf color you have on the walls of your living room, and I thought this dove gray would actually really open up the space.

  • But even the sun could not outshine the gray.

  • His eyes were dark too, rich deep gray, as clear as lake water.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Now all colors lead to gray.

  • Now you see these tall light Gray bars on the graph.

  • Why couldn't they just make them both Gray or black to match?

  • Her mother's pretty mirror, she noticed, was a cloudy gray, although everything around it was black.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The sea is a slatier kind of gray, only relieved by white horses racing to shore.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The soldiers wore a standard uniform colored in gray to maintain a neutral appearance.

  • The clouds gathered overhead, casting a gray shadow over the landscape before the storm.

Synonyms

dark-gray
vsgray
  • US
13 1.0

A very deep grey color that reflects little light

is lighter and more balanced between light and dark tones
grayish
vsgray
  • US
9 1.1

Slightly like the color of old hair or a cloudy sky

is the clear middle tone between light and dark rather than a hint
neutral
vsgray
5 3.2

A color like gray or beige that matches other colors

is the specific mid tone between light and dark rather than any muted color
neutral-colored
vsgray
  • US
3 4.1

A color like beige or grey that does not draw attention

is one particular neutral mid tone rather than a range of muted colors
silver-gray
vsgray
  • US
2 3.0

A grey color that looks shiny like silver

is a plain nonmetallic middle tone rather than a shiny appearance
charcoal gray
vsgray
  • US
2 3.1

A very dark gray like the color of charcoal

is the intermediate tone, not as close to the darkest end
iron-gray
vsgray
  • US
1 3.9

A dark grey color like iron

is a regular middle tone, not as cold or metallic in feeling
gray-black
vsgray
  • US
1 3.1

A dark color that is black with a little grey

is a balanced middle tone rather than a predominantly dark mix
silvery-gray
vsgray
  • US
1 3.7

A light gray color that looks like shiny silver

is matte and neutral rather than having a metallic sheen
ash-gray
vsgray
  • US
1 3.8

A light pale gray that looks like soft smoke

is a standard mid-range tone, not especially pale or bright
grayish-black
vsgray
  • US
1 3.2

A very dark color that looks like black with a little grey

is more evenly between light and dark rather than chiefly dark
blackish-gray
vsgray
1 3.5

A dark gray color that looks almost black

is the neutral middle tone rather than leaning toward deep darkness
Oxford gray
vsgray
  • US
1 7.7

A very dark gray color often used for suits, coats, and paint

is the general middle tone, not especially formal or very dark

Antonyms

92 1.0

Having bright, different colors that catch the eye

24 3.6

Full of bright, strong colors that attract attention

Compounds

gray area
  • Informal
43 5.3

A situation that is not clearly in one category

13 1.0

A very deep grey color that reflects little light

gray matter
  • Specialized
12 4.1

The darker part of the brain and spinal cord containing nerve cells or used to mean being smart

6 2.0

Gray with a little blue like the sky before a storm

5 3.0

A large wild animal like a dog with gray fur that lives in forests and often hunts in packs

4 3.5

A medium-sized whale with grey skin that lives in the northern Pacific Ocean

3 6.3

A place where goods are sold without manufacturer permission, often cheaper and without warranty

3 2.7

A color that is mainly blue with some gray

3 3.9

A green color mixed with gray

2 3.5

A dark grey color with a slight blue or purple tone

2 3.2

Very dark gray like the color of burned wood

2 3.0

A grey color that looks shiny like silver

2 2.6

A light gray color like shiny metal

2 3.1

A very dark gray like the color of charcoal

2 4.8

A dark blue-gray color like a wet stone or a storm sky

1 2.0

A brown color mixed with gray

1 2.5

A grey color with a touch of blue

1 5.7

A medium-sized wild animal with gray fur that lives in North and Central America and can climb trees

1 3.9

A dark grey color like iron

1 2.8

A white color with a little grey in it

1 3.1

A dark color that is black with a little grey

1 3.7

A light gray color that looks like shiny silver

gray body
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An object that emits less light and heat than a perfect emitter at the same temperature

1 3.0

A pale grey color with a soft, shiny look

1 5.2

A medium-sized grey parrot from Africa that is very intelligent and copies human speech

1 3.4

A very pale gray color like the powder left after a fire

gray market
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A place where shares or bonds are traded outside an official exchange

1 3.8

A light pale gray that looks like soft smoke

1 2.7

A gray color with a little brown in it

1 3.0

A gray color with a little green in it

gray hat
  • Jargon
1 8.1

A person who finds computer security problems and sometimes breaks the law to test them

1 2.7

A grey color with a little brown in it

1 3.4

A gray color with a little red in it

1 4.2

A light pink color mixed with gray

1 5.8

A very large grey owl with a round face that lives in northern forests

1 3.7

A grey color with a little yellow in it

1 8.3

A female large wild bird with grey brown feathers like a grouse

1 7.2

A bird from northern forests with a black head that boldly takes food from people

1 8.0

A sea fish often caught near coasts for food and sport

1 3.2

A gray color with a little yellow

1 8.0

A very light grey that looks almost white

1 3.9

A dull gray color like stone or slate

1 6.6

A small gray songbird in North America with a call like a cat

1 6.0

A gray color with a hint of olive green

A dark gray color that looks almost black

Payne's gray
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A dark blue-grey color artists use in painting

gray substance
  • Specialized
1 9.4

Part of the brain and spinal cord that contains nerve cells and processes information

1 4.0

A gray color mixed with some red

1 6.0

A fish with a long rounded body that lives in seas and rivers that people often eat

1 7.5

A flat fish with pale gray flesh that people eat

1 8.0

An animal, often a horse, with a gray coat and darker gray spots

1 4.2

A dark grey color with a slight blue shine

1 7.7

A gray horse coat with darker gray spots

A common medium-sized squirrel from eastern North America with gray fur and a bushy tail

western gray squirrel
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A large gray tree squirrel with a bushy tail that lives in western United States forests

1 8.3

A low, many-branched plant with silvery leaves that shelters wildlife

1 6.7

A dark blue-gray color often used for suits and uniforms

1 6.4

A medium-sized birch tree with pale gray bark that grows in eastern North America in old fields and burned areas

1 7.7

A very dark gray color often used for suits, coats, and paint

1 7.6

A small bushy tree with whitish woolly twigs that grows in wet places

Davy's gray
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A dark color with a little purple or blue used in painting

gray alder
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A tree that loses its leaves each year with smooth gray bark and broad leaves

1 7.2

Meat from a common sea or river fish that people eat

1 7.9

A small plump bird with grey feathers and an orange face that lives in farmland

1 4.2

A soft gray-green color used for calm home or clothing styles

dwarf gray willow
  • Specialized
9.6

A small willow bush in the eastern United States with long narrow leaves that are gray and hairy underneath

A medium-sized birch tree with white or pale grey bark from eastern North America

8.1

A flat sea fish that lives in warm shallow waters near the Atlantic coast

A North American plant with small yellow flowers used to make yellow dye

9.2

A large gray bird that catches insects and lives in the southeastern United States and Caribbean

9.6

A small mouse-like animal with gray fur that lives in Arctic tundra

9.9

A fern that grows on rocks or trees with grey rough undersides

7.8

A tall tree with leaves green on top and gray underneath

How Light

silver
15 1.0
gray
  • US
100 1.0
dark-gray
  • US
13 1.0
charcoal
7 1.7

Surface Forms

gray singular
greys plural
grays plural

Etymology

Gray as a noun names the neutral color between black and white and comes from the old word for that color, like German grau, which is why we call cloudy skies or pale walls 'gray'.