The word gray (or grey in British spelling) describes a color made by mixing black and white, like the clouds on an overcast day or the skin of an elephant. It's the color between light and dark, neither quite one nor the other.

Gray often appears when we talk about unclear or uncertain situations. When someone says an issue isn't black and white, they mean it exists in a gray area where the right answer isn't obvious.

The word can describe other things too. Gray hair is what happens as people age and their hair loses its color. A gray day is cloudy and dull. When someone looks gray, they appear tired or unwell.

Gray can also suggest something boring or lifeless. A gray existence would be one without much joy or excitement. But gray itself isn't necessarily gloomy: it's the color of rainstorms that water gardens, morning mist in valleys, and the soft fur of rabbits and koalas.