color
gb/kˈʌlɚ/ us/kˈʌlɚ/
A1
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
property
1
visual appearance from reflected light
How something looks because of the light it reflects, like red, blue, or green.
Usage pattern:
the color of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'color' with 'paint' when describing objects; 'color' is the visual property, not the substance applied.
Synonyms
hue (More technical or artistic term for a specific shade or tint of color.)
Antonyms
colorlessness (Describes the absence of any color, appearing transparent or white.)
Collocations
bright color
|change color
|favorite color
|color scheme
|color palette
Themes
art
|daily life
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The color of the sky changes throughout the day.
- She painted her room a soft blue color.
- This dress comes in several different colors.
- The leaves turn a beautiful red color in autumn.
Learner examples
- My favorite color is green.
- The car is blue.
- I like the color of your shirt.
- The apple is red.
Verb
A1
action
2
apply pigment to something
To make something have color by using paint, pencils, or other materials.
Usage pattern:
to color [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'color' with 'draw'; 'draw' means to make lines or shapes, while 'color' means to fill them in with pigment.
Synonyms
paint (Often used for applying liquid pigment to surfaces; more specific than 'color'.)
Antonyms
bleach (To remove color from something, often making it white.)
Collocations
color a picture
|color the walls
|color the drawing
Themes
art
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Examples
- The children colored pictures in their books.
- She spent the afternoon coloring a beautiful landscape.
- He colored the poster with bright markers.
Learner examples
- I color my drawing with red.
- She colors the picture.
- We color the paper.
Noun
B1
entity
3
race or skin pigmentation
The shade of a person's skin, often linked to race.
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use 'color' for hair or eye description in this sense; here it refers to skin and race.
Synonyms
ethnicity (Refers to cultural origin rather than just skin pigmentation.)
Collocations
people of color
Themes
society
|relationships
|body
Examples
- People of all colors attended the festival.
- The law prohibits discrimination based on color.
- She is proud of her color and heritage.
Learner examples
- People have different colors of skin.
- We must not judge people by their color.
- The law says no one can be treated badly because of their color.
Noun
B2
entity
4
added vividness or interest
Something that makes a story, event, or person more interesting or lively.
Common mistake:
Learners may misinterpret this figurative sense as literal visual color.
Synonyms
flavor (Metaphorical use meaning added distinctive quality or interest.)
Collocations
add color to [something]
Themes
communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- His travel stories added a lot of color to the evening.
- The reporter's descriptions brought color to the otherwise dull account.
- She adds color to our meetings with her jokes.
Learner examples
- Her story has much color.
- He adds color to the talk.
- The news has no color.
Grammar
Dictionary form
color
IPA
GB/kˈʌlɚ/
US/kˈʌlɚ/
Syllables & stress
col - or (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (col)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: color
- Variant Spelling: colour
- Plural: color, colors
Verb
- Base: color
- Variant Spelling: colour
- 3rd Person Singular: colors
- Present Participle: coloring
- Past: colored
Word family
Core family
colorful
adjective A2
Related words
colorize
verb
Negative and opposite forms
colorless
adjective
discolor
verb
Advanced or less common
coloration
noun
colorist
noun
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: colour Verb
- Spelling Variant: colour Noun
Expressions
color someone’s judgment
1/kˈʌlɚ sˈʌmwˌʌnz d͡ʒˈʌd͡ʒmənt/
fixed phrase
influence opinion in biased way
To make someone’s opinion less fair because of feelings or experiences.
Examples
- Her bad experience colored her judgment about the new restaurant.
- Personal feelings can easily color your judgment at work.
in color
1/ˈɪn kˈʌlɚ/
fixed phrase
shown in natural colors
Shown with real-life colors instead of just black and white.
Examples
- The movie is now available in color.
- I prefer watching old shows in color rather than black and white.
show one’s true colors
1/ʃˈoʊ wˈʌnz tɹˈu kˈʌlɚz/
idiom
reveal real character or intentions
To show what you are really like or what you really think.
Examples
- He showed his true colors when he refused to help his friend.
- She finally showed her true colors and admitted she didn’t care about the project.
see red
1/sˈi ɹˈɛd/
idiom
informal
become suddenly angry
To suddenly feel very angry.
Examples
- He saw red when he found out they had lied to him.
- I see red every time someone cuts me off in traffic.
see red
2/sˈi ɹˈɛd/
idiom
informal
Become suddenly very angry
To suddenly become very angry.
Examples
- I see red when people litter in the park.
- He saw red when he found out someone scratched his car.