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gray-headed

gray-headed

1 4.4
Having mostly white hair because a person is older
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡreɪˌhɛdɪd/
  • US
translation icon : canoso
  • He looked up and noticed a tall, gray-headed man with the garb of the clergy standing by his door.
  • a gray-headed man

Examples

  • The lecturer, a gray-headed old man with a handlebar mustache, broke into a raucous laugh.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The gray-headed man told stories about his adventures as a young traveler.

  • The woman who answered my knock was gray-headed and starting to stoop, but still had a fire in her eye.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • One day, as I was working in my store, this handsome, tall, gray-headed stranger wandered in.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • I'll get grey-headed.

  • The concierge, a gray-headed roly-poly man with the dignity of a cardinal, in a wing collar and dress coat, was all condescending grace to Yossi.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • A gray-headed woman sat on the bench, knitting while watching the children play in the park.

  • The gray-headed elder shared his wisdom with the community during the town meeting.

Synonyms

gray
vsgray-headed
  • US
148 1.0

Having white or silver hair from age

focuses specifically on hair color as the aging sign
gray-haired
vsgray-headed
  • US
12 1.1

Having hair that is gray or white because of age

is the same meaning but differs only in word form
white-haired
vsgray-headed
12 1.7

A person who has hair that is white, usually because they are old

uses a broader label that includes pale and mixed hair
grizzled
vsgray-headed
11 6.7

Hair that is mixed with grey or white

refers to uniformly pale or white hair as a sign of aging
silver-haired
vsgray-headed
3 2.7

A person who has hair that is gray or white, usually because they are older

is a neutral description rather than a color metaphor
hoary
vsgray-headed
1 8.9

Having grey or white hair that shows old age

is the ordinary modern description rather than literary or poetic
hoar
vsgray-headed
  • Archaic
9.9

Having grey or white hair that shows old age

is the standard contemporary way to state the same idea

Antonyms

85 3.1

Having the energy and fresh look of a young person

How Gray

gray-headed
  • US
1 4.4
white-haired
12 1.7

Surface Forms

gray-headed positive

Morphology

gray-headed = gray + head (transparent) = gray + head + ed

The adjective is a straightforward compound of 'gray' + 'head' + '-ed', meaning 'having a gray head/hair', which learners can derive from the components.

Etymology

Gray-headed comes from the parts gray ('the color gray') and headed ('having that color on the head'), like the common word red-headed. It describes someone with gray or white hair and so is often a sign of age or wisdom.