rainbow
gb/ɹˈeɪnboʊ/ us/ɹˈeɪnboʊ/
A2
English
~ 5700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
Arc of colors in the sky
A big curved line of many colors that you see in the sky when the sun shines after rain.
Usage pattern:
see a rainbow in [the sky]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"the sky is rainbow"* when they mean *"there is a rainbow in the sky"*. Use "there is/are" to talk about seeing a rainbow.
Synonyms
spectrum (More technical; usually refers to the full range of colors or wavelengths, not specifically the arc in the sky.)
Antonyms
gray sky (Highlights the lack of color or visual interest compared with a colorful rainbow.)
Collocations
see a rainbow
|bright rainbow
|double rainbow
|rainbow in the sky
|rainbow after the rain
|a full rainbow
Themes
nature
|weather
|science
Examples
- After the storm, a beautiful rainbow appeared over the mountains.
- You can sometimes see a rainbow in the mist of a waterfall.
- Children ran outside to take photos of the bright rainbow in the evening sky.
- We watched the double rainbow slowly fade as the clouds moved away.
- The sun came out and a faint rainbow formed above the trees.
Learner examples
- There is a rainbow in the sky.
- We saw a big rainbow after the rain.
- She took a photo of the rainbow.
- A small rainbow is over the lake.
- The rainbow has many colors.
Noun
B2
entity
2
LGBTQ+ pride symbol
A many-colored flag or sign that shows support for LGBTQ+ people and for diversity.
Usage pattern:
the rainbow symbolizes [idea or group]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "rainbow" here always means the weather phenomenon. In social and political contexts, especially with words like "flag", "colors", or "community", it usually means the LGBTQ+ symbol.
Synonyms
pride flag (More specific to the flag itself; often used as a direct label for the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag.)
Antonyms
anti-LGBTQ sentiment (Represents opposition to LGBTQ+ rights and visibility, the social opposite of what the rainbow symbol stands for.)
Collocations
rainbow flag
|rainbow colors
|rainbow community
|rainbow symbol
|rainbow pride
|rainbow movement
Themes
society
|identity
|politics
|relationships
Examples
- The city raised the rainbow on the town hall to mark Pride Month.
- Many shops display a rainbow in their window to show support for LGBTQ+ customers.
- She wore a small rainbow on her jacket as a sign of solidarity.
- The stadium lit up in rainbow colors after the historic court decision.
- Online, the rainbow has become a widely recognized symbol of queer visibility.
Learner examples
- They carried a big rainbow at the pride parade.
- This café has a rainbow sticker on the door.
- He wears a rainbow to show support for LGBTQ+ people.
- The company changed its logo to rainbow colors in June.
- The school put a rainbow on the wall to show that everyone is welcome.
Noun
B2
entity
3
Wide and colorful variety
A large mix of many different kinds of things, often with many colors.
Usage pattern:
a rainbow of [plural noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"a rainbow colors"* instead of *"a rainbow of colors"*. In this meaning, the preposition "of" is almost always needed before the plural noun.
Synonyms
variety (More general and neutral; "rainbow" suggests a vivid, colorful, often positive variety.)
Antonyms
uniformity (Suggests everything is the same, without the diversity or range implied by "rainbow".)
Collocations
a rainbow of colors
|a rainbow of options
|a rainbow of flavors
|a rainbow of emotions
|a whole rainbow of choices
|a rainbow of voices
Themes
description
|art
|food
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The market offers a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Her new collection features a rainbow of skin-tone foundations.
- We heard a rainbow of opinions during the discussion.
- The festival brings together a rainbow of cultures from around the world.
- The store sells a rainbow of paints for any project.
Learner examples
- The garden has a rainbow of flowers.
- The shop has a rainbow of T-shirts on the wall.
- We tasted a rainbow of ice cream flavors.
- The class has a rainbow of different cultures.
- The artist used a rainbow of bright colors.
adjective
B1
property
4
Having many bright colors
Having many strong colors, like a rainbow.
Usage pattern:
rainbow [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"colorful like rainbow"* instead of using "rainbow" before a noun, as in *"a rainbow dress"*. In English, this meaning of "rainbow" is usually used directly before the noun it describes.
Synonyms
multicolored (Neutral descriptive word; "rainbow" often sounds more playful or eye-catching.)
Antonyms
monochrome (Describes something in only one color or shades of one color, the opposite of brightly multicolored.)
Collocations
rainbow hair
|rainbow cake
|rainbow lights
|rainbow socks
|rainbow makeup
|rainbow pattern
Themes
appearance
|fashion
|art
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- She dyed her hair in rainbow streaks for the festival.
- The bakery is famous for its tall rainbow cake.
- Kids love the rainbow lights in the playground at night.
- He wore rainbow socks to add some fun to his outfit.
- The designer released a limited edition of rainbow sneakers.
Learner examples
- I bought rainbow socks yesterday.
- The children are eating rainbow ice cream.
- Her phone case has a rainbow design.
- They painted a rainbow wall in the bedroom.
- He has a rainbow shirt with many bright colors.
Grammar
Expressions
a rainbow of
1/ə ɹˈeɪnboʊ əv/
fixed phrase
A large colorful variety
A big mix of many different kinds of the same type of thing, often with many colors, as in "a rainbow of colors" or "a rainbow of flavors".
Examples
- The shop offers a rainbow of phone cases to choose from.
- We enjoyed a rainbow of flavors at the street food festival.
- The classroom walls were decorated with a rainbow of children’s drawings.
at the end of the rainbow
1/ˈæt ðə ˈɛnd əv ðə ɹˈeɪnboʊ/
idiom
Unrealistic reward or goal
In a place where you hope you will find something very good, but it is not realistic and will probably not happen.
Examples
- He keeps changing jobs, always looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
- They moved abroad hoping to find their own happiness at the end of the rainbow.
- For many people, winning the lottery is the dream at the end of the rainbow.
chase rainbows
1/t͡ʃˈeɪs ɹˈeɪnboʊz/
idiom
Pursue unrealistic dreams
To spend time and energy trying to get something that is not realistic or will almost never happen.
Examples
- He’s always chasing rainbows instead of working on practical plans.
- If you invest all your money in that scheme, you’re just chasing rainbows.
- Her parents worry that she’s chasing rainbows with her latest business idea.
double rainbow
1/dˈʌbəl ɹˈeɪnboʊ/
fixed phrase
Two rainbows in the sky
Two rainbows in the sky at the same time, with one on top of the other.
Examples
- Everyone stopped to take photos of the double rainbow over the city.
- We were lucky enough to see a double rainbow after the heavy rain.
- The video of the double rainbow went viral on social media.
rainbow baby
1/ɹˈeɪnboʊ bˈeɪbi/
fixed phrase
Baby born after pregnancy loss
A baby who is born after the mother or parents have lost a baby before, for example through miscarriage or stillbirth.
Examples
- They shared their joy online when their rainbow baby was born healthy.
- She wrote a blog post about her experience of having a rainbow baby.
- Support groups often use the term "rainbow baby" to give hope to grieving parents.
rainbow bridge
1/ɹˈeɪnboʊ bɹˈɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
literary
Imagined afterlife for pets
An imaginary place where, in a popular story, pets go after they die and wait for their owners so they can be together again.
Examples
- She wrote that her dog had crossed the rainbow bridge and thanked him for all the joy he brought.
- Many people find comfort in the idea of the rainbow bridge when a pet dies.
- The vet sent a card with a poem about the rainbow bridge after our cat passed away.
rainbow flag
1/ɹˈeɪnboʊ flˈæɡ/
fixed phrase
LGBTQ+ pride flag
The many-colored flag that shows support for LGBTQ+ people and their rights.
Examples
- Rainbow flags lined the streets during the city’s pride parade.
- The school now flies the rainbow flag alongside the national flag.
- They added a small rainbow flag to their social media profile picture.
rainbow nation
1/ɹˈeɪnboʊ nˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Very diverse country
A name for a country where many different ethnic or cultural groups live together; it is especially used as a nickname for South Africa after apartheid.
Examples
- South Africa is often called the rainbow nation because of its cultural diversity.
- Leaders spoke about building a rainbow nation where everyone feels included.
- The term "rainbow nation" became popular in the years after apartheid ended.
rainbow coalition
1/ɹˈeɪnboʊ kˌoʊəlˈɪʃən/
idiom
Broad diverse political alliance
A group in politics or society that brings together many different kinds of people or groups to work for the same goal.
Examples
- The party tried to build a rainbow coalition of unions, activists, and community groups.
- Her campaign depends on a rainbow coalition of young voters and minority communities.
- Analysts say the government’s rainbow coalition is difficult to keep united.
rainbow coalition
2/ɹˈeɪnboʊ kˌoʊəlˈɪʃən/
idiom
very diverse political coalition
A political or social coalition made of many very different groups, often from different races, classes, or political positions.
Examples
- The candidate tried to build a rainbow coalition of workers, students, and minority communities.
- Her party leads a rainbow coalition that stretches from greens to conservatives.