- 1[countable, uncountable] the appearance that things have that results from the way in which they reflect light. Red, orange, and green are colors What's your favorite color? bright/dark/light colors available in 12 different colors the color of the sky Her hair is a reddish-brown color. Foods that go through a factory process lose much of their color, flavor, and texture. The garden was a mass of color.
- 2[uncountable] (usually before another noun) the use of all the colors, not only black and white a color TV color photography/printing a full-color brochure Do you dream in color?
- 3[uncountable] a red or pink color in someone's face, especially when it shows that they look healthy or that they are embarrassed The fresh air brought color to their cheeks. Color flooded her face when she thought of what had happened. His face was drained of color (= he looked pale and sick). of skin
- 4[uncountable, countable] the color of a person's skin, when it shows the race they belong to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, or religion a person/man/woman of color (= who is not white) substance
- 5[countable, uncountable] a substance that is used to give color to something a semi-permanent hair color that lasts six to eight weeks see watercolor interesting details
- 6[uncountable] interesting and exciting details or qualities The old town is full of color and attractions. Her acting added warmth and color to the production. to add/give/lend color to something (= make it brighter, more interesting, etc.) see local color of team/country, etc.
- 7colors [plural] the particular colors that are used on clothes, flags, etc. to represent a team, school, political party, or country Red and white are the team colors. Spain's national colors (figurative) There are people of different political colors on the committee.
- 8colors [plural] a flag, badge, etc. that represents a team, country, ship, etc. Most buildings had a flagpole with the national colors flying. sailing under the French colors Thesauruscolor
- shade
- hue
- tint
- tinge
- color the appearance that things have, resulting from the way in which they reflect light. Red, green, and blue are colors:What's your favorite color? bright/dark/light colors
- shade a particular form of a color, especially when describing how light or dark it is. Lavender is a shade of purple.
- hue (literary or technical) a color or a particular shade of a color:His face took on an unhealthy, whitish hue.
- tint a shade or small amount of a particular color; a faint color covering a surface:green leaves with red and gold tints
- tinge a small amount of a color:Her hair is brown with just a tinge of red.
- You can saya reddish tint/tingeora tinge of redbut nota tint of red. Tint is more often used in the plural.
- a warm/rich color/shade/hue/tint
- a bright/vivid/vibrant/dark/deep color/shade/hue
- a pale/pastel/soft/subtle/delicate color/shade/hue
- a light/strong/neutral/natural color/shade
red, green, etc.
a completely different situation or person from the one previously mentioned
to make sure that someone has enough money to pay for something You need to see the color of his money before you sell him the car.
your real character, rather than the one that you usually allow other people to see It was only after they got married that he showed himself in his true colors.
very well; with a very high grade She passed the course with flying colors. In the past, a ship returned to port after a victory in battle decorated with flags (= colors).
Check pronunciation: color