color
1 of 2noun
col·or ˈkə-lər 
plural colors
often attributive
1
a
: a phenomenon of light (such as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects
b(1)
: the aspect of the appearance of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation (see saturation sense 4) for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources
the changing color of the sky
also : a specific combination of hue, saturation, and lightness or brightness
comes in six colors
(2)
: a color other than and as contrasted with black, white, or gray
c
colors plural : clothing of a bright (see bright entry 1 sense 4) color : clothing that is neither dark nor light in color
Wash your colors separately from your darks and lights.
2
: something used to give color : pigment
3
a
: two or more hues employed in a medium of presentation
movies in color
b
: the use or combination of colors
4
: skin pigmentation other than and especially darker than what is considered characteristic of people typically defined as white (see white entry 1 sense 2a)
The charges … allege that the social network discriminates based on color …
Shawn Knight
—often used with of Shawn Knight … the policy of treating youthful offenders as adults falls most heavily on those of color. Kristin Choo
see also man of color, person of color, woman of color Kristin Choo5
: complexion tint:
a
: the tint characteristic of good health
… sat looking at her with wistful eyes, trying to see signs of hope in the faint color on Beth's cheeks. Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott b
: blush
6
a
: an identifying badge, pennant, or flag —usually used in plural
a ship sailing under Swedish colors
b
: colored clothing distinguishing one as a member of a particular group or representative of a particular person or thing —usually used in plural
a jockey wearing the colors of the stablewore his college colors to the game
7
a
: character, nature —usually used in plural
showed himself in his true colors
b
colors plural : position as to a question or course of action : stand
… the USSR changed neither its colors nor its stripes during all of this … Norman Mailer
Norman Mailer8
a
: vividness or variety of effects of language
… that color and force of style which were later to make him outstanding among American editors … Arthur Krock
Arthur Krock b
: local color
9
: vitality, interest
The play had a good deal of color to it.
10
: analysis of game action or strategy, statistics and background information on participants, and often anecdotes provided by a sportscaster to give variety and interest to the broadcast of a game or contest
a color commentator
11
a
: an outward often deceptive show : appearance
His story has the color of truth.
b
: a legal claim to or appearance of a right, authority, or office
c
: a pretense offered as justification : pretext
the color for his action
d
: an appearance of authenticity : plausibility
lending color to this notion
12
colors plural
a
: a naval or nautical salute to a flag being hoisted or lowered
b
: armed forces
13
: the quality of timbre in music
the color and richness of the cello
14
: a small particle of gold in a gold miner's pan after washing
15
: a hypothetical property of quarks that differentiates each type into three forms having a distinct role in binding quarks together
color
2 of 2verb
colored; coloring; colors
transitive verb
1
a
: to give color to
b
: to change the color of (as by dyeing, staining, or painting)
She colors her hair.
2
: to change as if by dyeing or painting: such as
a
: influence
"The lives of most of us have been colored by politics … " Christine Weston
Christine Weston b
: misrepresent, distort
a highly colored version of the facts
c
: gloss, excuse
color a lie
3
: characterize, label
… call it progress; color it inevitable with shades of job security C. E. Price
C. E. Priceintransitive verb
1
: to fill in a shape or picture outlined on a piece of paper using markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.
His granddaughter Fernanda sat at his side, coloring with crayons. Charles Montgomery
Charles Montgomery2
: to take on color
specifically : blush
She colored at the mention of his name.
colorer
ˈkə-lər-ər
noun 
Synonyms
Noun
- cast
- hue
- shade
- tincture
- tinge
- tint
- tone
Verb
- bepaint [archaic]
- dye
- paint
- pigment
- stain
- tincture
- tinge
- tint
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun The color of blood is red. What color are your eyes? What color paint shall we use? Blue and green are my favorite colors. The pillows are all different colors. The room needs more color. In early summer the garden is full of color. She added color to her outfit with a bright scarf. His eyes were bluish-green in color. She's using a new lip color. Verb We colored the water with red ink. The children were busy coloring in their coloring books. My nephew colored a picture for me. The child colored the sky blue and the sun yellow. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Tribune News Service, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2022 The first photo is black-and-white while the following snaps are in color, showing that the confetti is blue. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 Afterward, the grapes lay there for two weeks, caramelizing under the sun and turning golden-amber in color, before finally being pressed at the winery. Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Sep. 2022 The new footage, taken during a 2022 OceanGate expedition to the Titanic, gives viewers a glimpse of the vessel in vivid color, revealing the ship’s bow, portside anchor, hull and massive anchor chain. Michelle Harris, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2022 For spring, skip blue denim and try out the trend in color with green, yellow or orange. Jamila Stewart, Essence, 1 Sep. 2022 The Yodygaga Ribbed Seamless Yoga set is the kind of item that your favorite TikToker probably owns in every color. Elizabeth Djinis, SELF, 31 Aug. 2022 The Emerald is perfect, intense in color, fascinating in its inclusions. Evan Nicole Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022 The clams typically have an outer shell that is yellow-green in color with white spots, and an inner shell that is purple. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Aug. 2022 Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Aug. 2022 Gruman, who has two children, is eyeing it to create a dedicated place where her kids can color. Lindsey M. Roberts, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 Kim said small businesses are the risk takers, rebels and people who color outside the lines and create change. Sean Mcdonnell, cleveland, 28 July 2022 The work that creatives do, both on screen and off, help color our understanding of our communities and the world at large. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 20 July 2022 The directorial directive seems to be: Go nuts… but, actually, please just color within the lines. A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2022 Working with Indeed, Floyd had access to production and post-production professionals, which afforded him the opportunity to color correct and craft sound design in a studio setting. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 16 June 2022 Given a certain number of colors at your disposal, there are many ways to color the graph. Quanta Magazine, 5 July 2022 Whether that legislation passes, and in what form, could largely color how advocates view progress on environmental initiatives in 2022, said Robin Clark, a Maryland staff attorney with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Scott Dance, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2022 See More
Noun
Its most notable feature are front seats that differ in color from the rear seats. Tribune News Service, cleveland, 10 Sep. 2022 The first photo is black-and-white while the following snaps are in color, showing that the confetti is blue. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2022 Afterward, the grapes lay there for two weeks, caramelizing under the sun and turning golden-amber in color, before finally being pressed at the winery. Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Sep. 2022 The new footage, taken during a 2022 OceanGate expedition to the Titanic, gives viewers a glimpse of the vessel in vivid color, revealing the ship’s bow, portside anchor, hull and massive anchor chain. Michelle Harris, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2022 For spring, skip blue denim and try out the trend in color with green, yellow or orange. Jamila Stewart, Essence, 1 Sep. 2022 The Yodygaga Ribbed Seamless Yoga set is the kind of item that your favorite TikToker probably owns in every color. Elizabeth Djinis, SELF, 31 Aug. 2022 The Emerald is perfect, intense in color, fascinating in its inclusions. Evan Nicole Brown, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2022 The clams typically have an outer shell that is yellow-green in color with white spots, and an inner shell that is purple. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 Aug. 2022 Verb
Shepherd’s show will make its debut Sept. 12, and at least a few involved worry that the demise of Williams’ show could color her successor’s entrance. Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Aug. 2022 Gruman, who has two children, is eyeing it to create a dedicated place where her kids can color. Lindsey M. Roberts, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2022 Kim said small businesses are the risk takers, rebels and people who color outside the lines and create change. Sean Mcdonnell, cleveland, 28 July 2022 The work that creatives do, both on screen and off, help color our understanding of our communities and the world at large. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 20 July 2022 The directorial directive seems to be: Go nuts… but, actually, please just color within the lines. A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2022 Working with Indeed, Floyd had access to production and post-production professionals, which afforded him the opportunity to color correct and craft sound design in a studio setting. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 16 June 2022 Given a certain number of colors at your disposal, there are many ways to color the graph. Quanta Magazine, 5 July 2022 Whether that legislation passes, and in what form, could largely color how advocates view progress on environmental initiatives in 2022, said Robin Clark, a Maryland staff attorney with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Scott Dance, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English colour, borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Latin color, earlier colōs "color as a physical phenomenon, pigment, complexion, appearance," probably, assuming an original meaning "covering, outermost layer, appearance," going back to *ḱel-ōs, collective derivative from an Indo-European s-stem *ḱel-os "covering" (whence perhaps Sanskrit śaras- "skin on boiled milk, cream" and, from a thematic derivative, Old High German hulisa "hull of a legume"), derivative of a verbal base *ḱel- "cover, conceal" — more at conceal
Verb
Middle English colouren, borrowed from Anglo-French colurer, going back to Latin colōrāre, derivative of color color entry 1
First Known Use
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Phrases Containing color
Kids Definition
color 1 of 2
noun
col·or ˈkə-lər
1
: the appearance of a thing apart from size and shape when light strikes it
Red is the color of blood.
2
: skin pigmentation especially other than white
people of color
3
: the rosy tint of a light-skinned person's face
They still looked thin and tired, but color had returned to their cheeks. Mary Pope Osborne, Christmas in Camelot
Mary Pope Osborne, Christmas in Camelot4
: blush entry 2 sense 1
Her embarrassment showed in the color rising in her face.
5
colors plural : an identifying flag
6
: interest entry 1 sense 2
Details added color to his story.
color
2 of 2verb
colored; coloring
1
: to give color to
2
: to change the color of
She colored her hair.
3
: to fill in the outlines of a shape or picture with color
4
: to take on or change color : blush
He colored in anger.
5
: influence entry 2
I won't let these rumors color my opinion.
Medical Definition
color
noun
col·or
variants or chiefly British colour
ˈkəl-ər
1
a
: a phenomenon of light (as red, brown, pink, or gray) or visual perception that enables one to differentiate otherwise identical objects
b
: the aspect of objects and light sources that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation for objects and hue, brightness, and saturation for light sources
c
: a hue as contrasted with black, white, or gray
2
: complexion tint
especially : the tint characteristic of good health
Legal Definition
color
noun
col·or
: a legal claim to or appearance of a right or authority
threats that gave color to an act of self-defense
—usually used in the phrase under color of a police officer held liable for violating the plaintiff's civil rights under color of state law
a second “search” under color of warrant W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israel
W. R. LaFave and J. H. Israelcolor 1 of 2
noun
1
as in hue
a property that becomes apparent when light falls on an object and by which things that are identical in form can be distinguished a shirt that is available in every color of the rainbow Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- hue
- shade
- tone
- coloration
- tint
- coloring
- tinge
- tincture
- brightness
- contrast
- saturation
- chroma
- pigmentation
- chromaticity
- undertone
- cast
- overtone
- lightness
- value
- primary color
- secondary color
- tertiary color
- colorway
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- achromatism
2
as in pigment
a substance used to color other materials added some red color to the base paint Synonyms & Similar Words
- pigment
- coloring
- dye
- colorant
- stain
- hue
- tint
- dyestuff
- toner
- shade
- tinge
- cast
3
as in coloring
the hue or appearance of the skin and especially of the face her color hasn't been good since she got sick Synonyms & Similar Words
- coloring
- tone
- complexion
- shade
- tint
- features
- looks
- face
- countenance
- lineaments
- visage
4
as in flag
colors plural a piece of cloth with a special design that is used as an emblem or for signaling flew their country's colors atop the highest mast on the ship Synonyms & Similar Words
- flag
- banner
- pennant
- standard
- pendent
- streamer
- ensign
- insignia
- banderole
- pennon
- guidon
- pendant
- banderol
- tricolor
- black flag
- jack
- white flag
- union jack
- bunting
- crest
- gonfalon
- badge
- semaphore
- burgee
- signaler
- waft
- coat of arms
- Jolly Roger
- signaller
5
as in blush
a rosy appearance (of the cheeks) the stay in the country brought color to her cheeks Synonyms & Similar Words
- blush
- brightness
- glow
- bloom
- reddishness
- flush
- pinkness
- redness
- brilliance
- ruddiness
- rosiness
- sanguineness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- whiteness
- paleness
- pallor
- pastiness
- greenness
- wanness
- sallowness
- pallidness
- greenishness
6
as in military
colors plural the combined army, air force, and navy of a nation she hopes to carry on the family tradition and serve with the colors Synonyms & Similar Words
- military
- service
- troops
- armed forces
- soldiers
- militia
- armor
- force
- defense
- reserves
- soldiery
- rank and file
- servicemen
- servicewomen
- gendarmery
- GIs
- men-at-arms
- gendarmerie
- GI's
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civilians
- noncombatants
7
as in personality
colors plural the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others we saw his true colors during the emergency Synonyms & Similar Words
- personality
- self
- nature
- character
- tone
- complexion
- trait
- clay
- characteristic
- constitution
- spirit
- flavor
- genius
- uniqueness
- attribute
- feature
- distinctness
- composition
- interior
- individuality
- distinctiveness
- soul
- temperament
- grain
- property
- mark
- makeup
- singularity
- sort
- stamp
- temper
- substance
- way
- disposition
- metal
- essence
- hallmark
- savor
- earmark
- stuff
- essentiality
- point
- habit
- interiority
- savour
- essentiality
color
2 of 2verb
1
as in to paint
to give color or a different color to per the couple's request, the baker used natural ingredients like beet juice and turmeric to color the icing for the wedding cake Synonyms & Similar Words
- paint
- tint
- dye
- stain
- pigment
- brighten
- tinge
- stripe
- tincture
- darken
- pattern
- bepaint
- fleck
- lighten
- marble
- speckle
- mottle
- polychrome
- variegate
- speck
- streak
- embrown
- checker
- dapple
- striate
- tone (down)
- daub
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- bleach
- decolorize
- whiten
- blanch
2
as in to exaggerate
to add to the interest of by including made-up details he gave a highly colored version of a rather mundane experience Synonyms & Similar Words
- exaggerate
- pad
- enhance
- embellish
- embroider
- expand
- stretch
- hyperbolize
- emphasize
- magnify
- satirize
- elaborate (on)
- amplify
- caricature
- stress
- play up
- dress up
- fudge
- overdraw
- overdo
- flesh (out)
- hedge
- overemphasize
- enlarge (on or upon)
- gussy up
- overstate
- overplay
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- minimize
- understate
- belittle
- play down
3
as in to distort
to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of his news reporting is colored by his prejudices Synonyms & Similar Words
- distort
- misrepresent
- slant
- cook
- twist
- obscure
- warp
- camouflage
- fudge
- mask
- complicate
- misrelate
- falsify
- pervert
- garble
- censor
- misstate
- misinterpret
- mistake
- whitewash
- veil
- disguise
- confuse
- bend
- misdescribe
- dissemble
- gloss (over)
- bowdlerize
- misspeak
- lie
- mistranslate
- belie
- fib
- equivocate
- palter
- mystify
- prevaricate
- confound
- mix (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- interpret
- explain
- illustrate
- illuminate
- clarify
- spell out
- clear (up)
- decipher
4
as in to blush
to develop a rosy facial color (as from excitement or embarrassment) she colored after hearing the nasty remarks about her weight Synonyms & Similar Words
- blush
- glow
- flush
- crimson
- bloom
- redden
- turn color
- rouge
- ruddle
- incarnadine
- humiliate
- faze
- disconcert
- mortify
- chagrin
- abash
- embarrass
- discomfit
Phrases Containing color
- self-realizationist
- self-realizations
- self-realizing
- self-rec
- self-recognition
- self-recognitions
- self-recording
- self-recrimination
- self-recriminations
- self-rectifying
- self-ref
- self-refer
- self-reference
- self-references
- self-referential
- self-referentiality
- self-referral
- self-referrals
- self-referred
- self-referring
- self-refers
- silk-screen
- silk-screen process
- silk-stocking
- silk-stocking district