colourful
gb/kˈoʊlɚfəl/ us/kˈoʊlɚfəl/
A2
Kiingereza
színes, színpompás, pezsgő, érzékletes, trágár, nyomdafestéket nem tűrő, vaskos, sokszínű, változatos
A2
1
színes
A1
színpompás
B2
Muundo wa matumizi:
[a colourful + noun]
She wore a colourful jacket that stood out in the crowd.
Színes kabátot viselt, amely kitűnt a tömegből.
The market was full of colourful fruit and vegetables.
A piac tele volt színpompás gyümölcsökkel és zöldségekkel.
We bought a colourful rug for the living room.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
I like colourful clothes.
Szeretem a színes ruhákat.
The bird is colourful.
A madár színes.
Kosa la kawaida:
In American English the usual spelling is colorful.
Maana
having many bright colours
Miunganiko ya maneno
colourful clothes
|colourful dress
|colourful flowers
|colourful birds
|colourful scarf
|colourful painting
|colourful poster
|colourful tiles
|colourful costume
|colourful umbrella
Visawe
multicoloured (Focuses on many different colours.)
|
bright (Emphasises strong, vivid colour.)
|
vivid (Suggests intense, clear colours.)
Vinyume
dull (Not bright or vivid in colour.)
|
drab (Plain and lacking colour.)
|
colourless (Having no colour or very little colour.)
Mada
arts
|clothing
|nature
|daily_life
Ufafanuzi
with many bright colours
Having many different bright colours; strongly coloured.
B2
2
Muundo wa matumizi:
[a colourful + place/event/period]
It’s a colourful neighbourhood with street music and busy cafés.
Igazi színes környék, utcazenével és nyüzsgő kávézókkal.
The documentary shows the island’s colourful history and traditions.
A dokumentumfilm bemutatja a sziget színes történelmét és hagyományait.
They live in a colourful world of late nights and loud parties.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
The festival was colourful and fun.
A fesztivál színes és jó hangulatú volt.
Kosa la kawaida:
This meaning is figurative: it does not necessarily mean ‘with many colours’.
Maana
lively and exciting
Miunganiko ya maneno
colourful city
|colourful festival
|colourful nightlife
|colourful parade
|colourful celebration
|colourful scene
|colourful culture
|colourful atmosphere
|colourful tradition
|colourful event
Visawe
vibrant (Often used for places and culture; very energetic.)
|
lively (Emphasises activity and energy.)
|
dynamic (Suggests constant activity and change.)
Vinyume
boring (Not interesting or exciting.)
|
dull (Lacking interest or energy.)
Mada
travel
|culture
|entertainment
Ufafanuzi
interesting and full of life
Full of variety, interest, and energy; lively and exciting.
B2
3
színes
B2
érzékletes
B2
Muundo wa matumizi:
[a colourful + description/account/story]
He gave a colourful account of his trip across the desert.
Színes beszámolót tartott a sivatagon át vezető útjáról.
The novel is full of colourful descriptions of the city at night.
A regény tele van az éjszakai város érzékletes leírásaival.
She tells stories in a colourful way that keeps everyone listening.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
She gave a colourful description of the park.
Érzékletes leírást adott a parkról.
Kosa la kawaida:
Often used for language or stories, not only for visual colour.
Maana
vivid in description or story
Miunganiko ya maneno
colourful description
|colourful account
|colourful story
|colourful narrative
|colourful language
|colourful details
|colourful imagery
|colourful metaphor
|colourful way of speaking
|colourful phrases
Visawe
vivid (Strong and clear, easy to imagine.)
|
evocative (Creates feelings or memories as well as images.)
|
graphic (Very clear and detailed; sometimes intense.)
Vinyume
bland (Not interesting or vivid.)
|
plain (Simple and without decoration or detail.)
Mada
communication
|writing
|media
Ufafanuzi
full of interesting details and strong images
Using vivid, detailed, and imaginative language that creates a strong picture in the mind.
C1
4
színes
B2
Muundo wa matumizi:
[a colourful + person/character]
He was a colourful character who always had a story to tell.
Színes egyéniség volt, mindig volt egy története, amit elmesélhetett.
The cast is full of colourful personalities.
A szereplőgárda tele van színes személyiségekkel.
She became known as one of the town’s most colourful figures.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
My uncle is a colourful person.
A nagybátyám színes egyéniség.
Kosa la kawaida:
With people, colourful usually describes personality, not clothing (though it can be both).
Maana
interesting and unusual person
Miunganiko ya maneno
colourful character
|colourful personality
|colourful figure
|colourful individual
|a colourful local
|a colourful host
|a colourful politician
|a colourful businessman
|a colourful performer
|a colourful celebrity
Visawe
eccentric (More strongly suggests unusual habits.)
|
flamboyant (More showy and dramatic.)
|
outgoing (More about being sociable than being unusual.)
Vinyume
conventional (Typical and not unusual.)
|
reserved (Quiet and not attention-seeking.)
Mada
people
|personality
|social_life
Ufafanuzi
different in a fun or unusual way
Having a striking, lively, or unusual personality that attracts attention.
C1
INFORMAL
5
Muundo wa matumizi:
[colourful + language/words]
The coach used some colourful language after the missed penalty.
A kihagyott tizenegyes után az edző nyomdafestéket nem tűrő szavakat használt.
His colourful remarks got him in trouble at work.
Vaskos megjegyzései miatt bajba került a munkahelyén.
She apologised for the colourful words she’d used in the argument.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
He used colourful language when he was angry.
Trágár szavakat használt, amikor dühös volt.
Kosa la kawaida:
Colourful does not always mean polite; ‘colourful language’ often implies swearing.
Maana
using strong, often rude words
Miunganiko ya maneno
colourful language
|colourful words
|colourful insults
|colourful vocabulary
|a colourful remark
|a colourful expression
|a colourful phrase
Visawe
profane (Directly means containing swear words.)
|
earthy (Often humorous or sexual; less formal.)
|
explicit (Stresses clear mention of taboo topics.)
Vinyume
polite (Respectful and not offensive.)
|
restrained (Controlled and not strong or rude.)
Mada
communication
|emotions
Ufafanuzi
using strong words (sometimes rude)
Using strong, vivid, and sometimes rude or offensive words, especially when angry or joking.
B2
6
sokszínű
B2
változatos
B1
Muundo wa matumizi:
[a colourful mix/collection/combination of + plural noun]
The menu offers a colourful mix of local and international dishes.
Az étlap a helyi és nemzetközi ételek sokszínű válogatását kínálja.
Their music draws on a colourful range of influences.
A zenéjük sokszínű hatásokból merít.
The book presents a colourful assortment of opinions.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
The class is a colourful mix of people.
Az osztály sokszínű társaság.
Kosa la kawaida:
Often used metaphorically for variety (a mix of people, ideas, influences), not just for colour.
Maana
made up of many different types
Miunganiko ya maneno
a colourful mix
|a colourful blend
|a colourful collection
|a colourful range
|a colourful variety
|a colourful assortment
|a colourful combination
|a colourful crowd
Visawe
diverse (Neutral term focusing on difference.)
|
varied (Emphasises many types or forms.)
|
eclectic (Suggests a deliberately mixed selection.)
Vinyume
uniform (All the same or very similar.)
|
homogeneous (Made up of the same kind; not varied.)
Mada
society
|culture
Ufafanuzi
with many different kinds
Including many different kinds of people or things; varied and diverse in a noticeable way.
Sarufi
Umbo la kamusi
colourful
IPA
GB/kˈoʊlɚfəl/
US/kˈoʊlɚfəl/
Silabi na mkazo
col - our - ful (silabi 3)
Stress on 1st syllable (col)
Maumbo ya neno
Adjective
- Base: colourful
Familia ya neno
Core family
colour
noun A1
Related words
colouring
noun
colourfully
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
colourless
adjective
Advanced or less common
discolour
verb
discolouration
noun
Semi
a colourful account
1/ə kˈoʊlɚfəl əkˈaʊnt/
fixed phrase
a vivid version of events
a lively story about what happened
Mifano
- He gave a colourful account of the meeting, complete with impressions of everyone’s voices.
- The book offers a colourful account of life on the road.
- She delivered a colourful account of the incident to her friends.
a colourful character
1/ə kˈoʊlɚfəl kˈɛɹɪktɚ/
fixed phrase
an unusual, interesting person
a very interesting or unusual person
Mifano
- Ask Joe—he’s a colourful character and knows everyone in town.
- The documentary is full of interviews with colourful characters.
- She was remembered as a colourful character who broke the rules.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- He is a colourful character.
a colourful description
1/ə kˈoʊlɚfəl dɪskɹˈɪpʃən/
fixed phrase
a vivid, detailed description
a very vivid description
Mifano
- She gave a colourful description of the ceremony.
- Witnesses offered colourful descriptions of the suspect.
- His colourful description made the place sound magical.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- She gave a colourful description of her trip.
a colourful past
1/ə kˈoʊlɚfəl pˈæst/
fixed phrase
an eventful, sometimes shady history
a past with many events (sometimes bad)
Mifano
- The new manager has a colourful past that the tabloids love.
- He hinted at a colourful past but didn’t give details.
- She left her colourful past behind and started over.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- He has a colourful past.
colourful language
1/kˈoʊlɚfəl lˈæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
informal
strong, often rude words
strong words, sometimes rude
Mifano
- There was some colourful language when the computer crashed.
- The referee warned the players about their colourful language.
- He tends to use colourful language when he’s stressed.
Mifano kwa wanafunzi
- Please don’t use colourful language in class.