ashy

Like burnt remnants

Ashy describes something resembling or covered with ash—pale gray, powdery, or drained of color.

A face gone ashy has lost its healthy hue: He turned ashy when he heard the news.

In Black American usage, ashy specifically describes dry, whitish skin that needs moisturizer: My elbows get ashy in winter.

This sense has spread into mainstream slang.

complexion

pale

Lacking color intensity

wanPale and unwell-looking
pallidUnhealthily lacking color
sallowUnhealthily yellowish complexion

dull · grayish · dusty · dry · flaky · chalky · matte · lackluster · lifeless · colorless

volcanic

pumice

Lightweight volcanic abrasive

tephraEjected volcanic material
pyroclasticHot eruption debris
basaltFine-grained volcanic stone

scoria · eruption · fallout · crater · fumarole · sulfurous · geothermal · Pompeii · tuff · lahar

residue

cinders

Partly burned coal pieces

embersSmoldering fire remnants
sootCarbon from incomplete burning
charcoalBurned wood residue

powder · dust · remnants · clinker · slag · coals · burnt · charred · incinerated · cremains

color

gray

Neutral achromatic hue

slateFissile metamorphic rock
charcoalBurned wood residue
silverLustrous white precious metal

pewter · leaden · dusty · muted · neutral · monochrome · drab · dingy · sooty · gunmetal

Categories

ashashfall, cremains, cinder, cinders, ember
hair colorblonde, brunette, auburn, red, brown
skin descriptionssmooth, rough, dry, oily, fair
volcano wordsactive, dormant, extinct, molten, eruptive
smokysmoky, smoking, smoldering, fuming, smoked
blonde shadesplatinum blonde, golden blonde, honey blonde, dirty blonde, strawberry blonde

Opposites

complexion color and vitality

Reddish in complexion

rosy · flushed · glowing · blooming · florid

color saturation and chromatic quality

Relating to color

vivid · saturated · colorful · vibrant · bright

material texture and composition

ashymoisturized

Given added moisture

hydrated · glowing · lotioned · supple · dewy

Phrases

rise from the ashesRecover after seeming destruction
bottom ashHeavy incombustible furnace residue
reduced to ashesBurned until nothing remains
Ash WednesdayLent's opening day
ash trayCigarette disposal container
rising from the ashes

Family

ash, ashes, ashen, ashtray, ashed, ashram, Ash Wednesday, ashier, ashlar

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G