Describing Wordsfor Colour

examples: nose,  winter,  blue eyes,  woman

Here are some adjectives for colour: original khaki, diverse solar, dingy orange, white deceptive, arterial, red, filthy olive, grey or leaden, bright sanguine, thy nighted, drab or yellowish, disappointing purple, rich yellowish, faint and vibrant, violent and even cruel, dim, russet, other ingrained, livid and carrion, softer green, separate and abstract, faint rationalistic, thin sanguine, deep or vivid, excellent azure, wretched russet, rosial, queer volcanic, pale but magical, eerie ochre, dismal brown, bright and even green. You can get the definitions of these colour adjectives by clicking on them. You might also like some words related to colour (and find more here).

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Click words for definitions.

Words to Describe colour

Below is a list of describing words for colour. You can sort the descriptive words by uniqueness or commonness using the button above. Sorry if there's a few unusual suggestions! The algorithm isn't perfect, but it does a pretty good job for most common nouns. Here's the list of words that can be used to describe colour:

original khaki diverse solar dingy orange white deceptive arterial, red filthy olive grey or leaden bright sanguine thy nighted drab or yellowish disappointing purple rich yellowish faint and vibrant violent and even cruel dim, russet other ingrained livid and carrion softer green separate and abstract faint rationalistic thin sanguine deep or vivid excellent azure wretched russet rosial queer volcanic pale but magical eerie ochre dismal brown bright and even green
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disagreeable whitish rusty-meal unpleasant brownish predominant black dark variegated conceivable bright egyptian local opalescent and warm amiable oriental smoky or bloody dark, smoky or bloody yellowish or black local and auxiliary black or sad dusty indeterminate fiery or red native funereal disgusting leaden dusty leaden alternately darker and lighter alternately darker bad, dingy bright, creamy blonde, thy peculiar grey rich hazel agreeable red dirty, sooty eighth distinct undistinguished yellow super reddish dull, languid execrably vivid awful reddish same bright-green special ideologcal ideologcal weirdest green garish, barbaric rich, swift pale or pearly grey nondescript neutral bluish or black poetical and sublime clear, restful nice brownish sinhalese local rich healthy bluish drab curious ashen dark and almost black coppery or purple healthy sweet pale and magenta lively sienna less orange dusky, black reddish maroon aboriginal grey beautiful, warm and strong emerald, green hazy or pale tawny brownish powerful and seemingly incongruous unavoidable intolerable decidedly sandy crimson or reddish dingy olive grey yellowish tenebrous and indefinite generally grey or leaden fine olive-green lively purple simplest complementary bright complementary somewhat dull and ruddy dullish purple persistent blue lively yellow or greenish joyous and dazzling warm and highly opaque highly opaque hot gorgeous indescribably unharmonious indescribably unharmonious and uncongenial unharmonious and uncongenial bright or intense present florid dubious yellow sorrel or reddish swarthy or tawny dense, quiet pallid ochre pure, sober crimson or bright-red florid healthy yellow or bad brown or olive-green rich amethystine extremely fugitive brownish or muddy rich florid sickly grey or black sallow unhealthy intensely brown or black sandy or golden blond, sandy or golden blue or silvery usually predominant demure cherry former pasty usual tabby mineral blue intensely rubicund soft and lucid deep drab white muddy suddenly ragged neutral grey univsersal unpleasant greasy venomous crimson nice pale blue or crimson natural, off-white more but solid shiny olive clammy, painful indeterminate drab indeterminate, opaque dark and repulsive harsh reddish same unidentifiable more, natural and delicate dusky leaden greener and deader black and cherry sanguine, red blended and harmonious bluish or mauve leaden and cadaverous soft, impressionistic extremely bright and luminous vile & cruel fair vermeil material, local everywhere delicate fluorescent amber glaring gaudy equal brown red or amber rosy, pure radiant or sparkling brilliant ruddy delicate whole are--general same coal-black purple or other coloured russet red fresh characteristic potential warm, wine-dark tawny or olive positive warm sweet, uncommon pure light-blue naturally uncertain often hot and muddy perplexed, delicious vivid gorgeous unpleasant waxy average final disagreeable red fancy, splendid prominent oriental dark, warm and cold notable and enjoyable faint and innocent specially nationalist gorgeous, riotous vivid adventitious same compound somewhat crimson experiments--special or local experiments--special brown gilded brownish sandy rich grass-green beautifully artistic deeper, painful impossible crimson common but unnamed glaring and noisy dark-skinned local high and shiny fine or fair uncertain sandy dull, dark-blue wonderful and contradictory telltale, significant impure green murky leaden slightly whitish deeper rusty brown or sooty dark-brown or rather black feverishly vivid vivid and richer rich gaudy deadly livid old-time local enchanting original particular or fancy original splendid sober virginal actually harsh and unpleasant actually harsh startling vermilion monochromatic orange muddy or yellow usually muddy or yellow local and sometimes harsh fresh grass-green quite pale and delicate dull undecided strong and even bright juicy, fat fresh pea-green cheerful purple blacker green glossy vermilion transparent, pea-green genuine golden lurid, creamy unpopular aristocratic yellow or drab sandy or tawny pale, rose-pink pure and variegated pure rose-petal yellow earthy glorious, impossible powerful vivid central or medial earthy or imperfect orange or auburn original dark-brown haunting, harmonious sometimes gorgeous exact peculiar dark-brown bluish darker greenish unhealthy whitish greenish ashen extra pink warm, sombre motley whitish rich but transparent true auburn stable and magnificent exquisite and nameless regal symbolic brilliant healthy innocent and gorgeous gorgeous mauve temperate local vivid, certain pink or other pleasant magenta false or unnatural rebellious, telltale agreeable yellow peculiarly vivid and distinct sometimes orange pale and simple grave, negative usually white or dull hot, proud topical and local enough topical and local enough topical brown, bluish or greenish black and coral rose-pink or red slow, dusky ashen brown dim, rusty rich preparatory black and bluish luminous, clean blue and brownish greenish leaden sickely pale delicious, ever-changing cheaper but duller distressingly business-like sonorous, sparkling sweetly sugary generally red or purple rich, limpid uninterrupted dark-brown full powerful usually white or yellowish brilliant changeable still soft and charming gilt and old cold snow-white bright or distinct good dark-green potent vocal intermediate pink yellow or tan lax, yellow or tan nearly russet strong iranian impossible and rich weak and dark imperfect and dirty faint anonymous manifestly blue ruddy opalescent often wrong and poisonous bronzed, black green general brownish or olive-green tawny grey dull and dark-brown magically blended changeable misty brilliant, painful clear or azure monotonous and mannered usually dark-green or brown usually dark-green lavender or almost black gorgeous and sparkling charmingly soft voluminous and unequally good striped or tabby generally pale-blue or green generally pale-blue wan frigid pure conspicuous common, fragile transparent scarlet fair and fervent otherwise fresher yellowish and reddish brownish general rich or darker broad harmonious fuller blue raw magenta duller and totally different fiercest orange livid, muddy orange or amber flat heraldic motley sandy different brown uniformly brownish bright and even sparkling null white dim or dark fierce reddish red and then ashen perceptible teutonic invisible, nondescript light-blue and orange orthodox drab dullish magenta thick and inimitable flaming or bright-red brilliant and translucent pure, brilliant and translucent rare and popular grey and livid strangely grey and livid strangely grey high florid reddish livid flaming high succulent, flaming remarkably rich and full suitable similar little undiluted strong principal black, tan or other dark grass-green native iranian striking and then unusual feverish local similar tawny adventitious green local or essential glaring opaque pleasing blue-black kilt--local national or poetic advantageous yellow dull waxen black or colder perceptibly darker exquisite and restful rich and very oriental delicate oat-meal bad or uneven wretched brown-black full-bodied and comparatively brilliant green or natural prevailingly past pale or livid bluish, pale or livid brownish, khaki typical whitish herbaceous white pale pot-metal often pure and brilliant least, pot-metal rich, luminous and translucent thin pot-metal less jewelled rich pot-metal singularly pure and delicate purple pot-metal brilliantly brown-black violently romantic fugitive uncertain three-fourths, tan strong blue-green brownish iridescent intense vivid fundamentally cold disturbing dark-blue suspiciously transparent fancy and ideal tawny yellow-brown limpid amber grey rusty indefinably charming remotely natural indescribable lurid chiefly maroon bright splendid handsome and harmless swarthy reddish greasy and almost imperceptible maximum blue indeterminate earthy faint ruddy lively yellow bluish brown natural pale red or maroon portuguese local blue or turquoise native tan extraordinarily dark nice golden richest orange healthy, green yellow or grey loveliest azure blue or azure constant, dark pale, leaden flat local hot and splendid florid arterial livid or darker yellow or yellow-brown blue or almost black sandy or spotty pot-metal real, dark generally grey stern italian brown and drab variable, inexpressible frightful ashen fine grass-green hot, luscious russet red brown or nearly black purple and yellowish bright, amber white or frosty orange or yellow strong opaque beautiful vermilion dirty olive dark dusky dirty lavender other determinate faint and dark nice and brown silvery red vivid, delicate nice brown reddish and greenish pleasing red rich and intense red or tawny pearly grey rich dark-brown vivid local green or reddish dark drab brown yellow dull, neutral white or reddish dark bronzed \~\~local golden, tawny aslightly odd tanned, purple unusual rusty strange smoky intense delicate monotonous brown disagreeable gray withered grey overall orange livid brown demure church-going unusable orange deep buttery clean amber peculiarly livid rich, vague dark, indeterminate strikingly asymmetrical rich red-tile waxy, yellowish sunburnt cherry alarming purple glorious, vibrant pale restful catlike golden ghastly ashen cold striking unnatural bright nondescript tawny fantastically garish hagial darker natural acceptable brown distinctly tan yellowish drab revolting green unique primary dismal, whitish bleak charcoal vivid, sacred attractive orange increasingly omnipresent vibrant, unreal heavier, grey silvery dark yellowish golden well-known reddish greenish and coppery richest positive dark-brown or hazel reddish or blue reddish or dark similar ominous bright and positive brownish, ashen indescribably strange yellowish, white fresh, transparent red or very dark decidedly red opulent and sonorous olive black drab, dismal unfortunately red vivid metallic luminous, transparent plainest green fine and enchanting colder and stiffer suave and poetic harmonic and instrumental high, fresh dim and deep peculiar, livid striking important effective and natural strange dusty deep yellowish pleasant reddish odd dirty natural or obvious palest nondescript _special or local variegated grey purest orange dramatic and sentimental whitish or brown violent, modern pallid earthy tawny olive vivid romantic merry rosy faintly agreeable reckless and unscientific perfectly yellow vivid delicate natural unstained red or livid grey or almost black white or vivid undecided blue chief ancestral peculiar yellow-brown richer brown venomous orange clearest and deepest vivid, variegated material and second-rate clear olive-green impure yellow permanent cold fine neutral powerful or dark historical and foreign livid grey bright grass-green leaden, ominous sandy or red clean, vivid darker, blacker healthy tan warm sienna wonderful greenish peculiar mauve hot proud remarkably clear and bright dry khaki gilded green tawny or orange exquisite light-blue plain brownish less scarlet brownish or umber same vermilion rich olive-green wholesome tan horrid pale again orange peculiarly silvery decidedly lighter external white blue and livid permanent liquid utterly harsh and horrible utterly harsh hearty brave white, yellow or brown fiery and untamed faint rose-pink definite pink almost kindred delightful silvery hot imperious necessary and widely applicable enough descriptive dusky livid whitish or grey outward fair way--local radiant wonderful free and humorous bleary, grey homogeneous brown deep and moist gay, delicate auburn or reddish naturally ruddy lovely maroon approximately white strikingly yellow vivid auburn dark local sensitive soft pale and clean average green bright dark-blue red, brown or yellow darker, stronger nice patriotic queer blank rosy healthy livid dark queer greenish warmer and deeper blue lilac yellowish olive yellow or tawny reddish flaxen rich turquoise purply red brown or russet sweet, pallid pale remote deep red-brick natural brownish dusky neutral true pink almost lilac brown or almost black dirty, livid frail fugitive vivid coral lively beautiful yellow or auburn bluish cold usually white or brown natural and delicious obscure grey dark indefinite dreadful bluish crudely brilliant warmly golden deep and indescribably dark-blue indescribably dark-blue brown reddish strong or glaring delicate yellowish fine vermilion green silvery same complementary dull and ruddy remarkably blue tan or other especially atmospheric apparent yellow dark or obscure somewhat brassy richly harmonious lurid fiery warm, italian yellowish milky general brighter white or coral white, yellow or red quite southern disagreeable brown typical tan rather flaxen bluish livid normal crimson yellow, bilious intensely brown generally tawny luminous and translucent healthy ruddy warm girlish dark or fair undefined dark delicate and loveliest sudden, deeper dark vigorous fiery and bloody delicate brunette soft brilliant privy, thy superideal predominant brown blue or brownish same, brownish powerfully luminous purple or even livid fundamental red indescribably rich and full inveterate black beautiful citron deep grass-green red, brownish bluish and green lively green yellowish brown less negative dusky brown beautiful tawny purest blue beautiful orange speckled grey powerful and pleasing healthy robust terrible grey dull whitish distinctly green much various original grey lively pink dark livid brownish or black intense yellow terrible crimson dull maroon dull earthy orange scarlet reddish, yellow general blue gallant red dirty greenish black and silvery orange or reddish yellowish bright uncomfortable green slight yellowish pale, dirty brown or reddish red or reddish dark lilac earthy brown reddish yellow dark tawny pale tawny livid white astonishing golden nameless and abominable sadder and darker bluish red rather amber more livid fine amber warm khaki often hot luscious, tropical black or dark-brown simple and unaided deep cherry tonal and harmonic brown, natural distinct and definable curious greenish bluish black deeper red yellow and reddish curious milky faintest social usually muddy bright local characteristic purple dull, purple deep and distinct hot, vivid far local fine magenta pink or reddish regal or imperial deep sensitive somewhat unlucky dirty, greenish beautiful grass-green brighter and richer crisp and delicate narrow-minded racial blue glossy high vivid rich, dull tawny white singular red pure and lustrous lovely local serious and tragical pale hazel exact actual rather tawny purple or reddish cold livid grey and lifeless fine indignant clear florid dusky blond pleasing green foreign and exotic unlovely red almost scarlet pure pink scant natural brighter purple smoky bluish perfect rich pale or yellowish local and chronological reddish or yellow opaque greenish high and sanguine local and military intense blue-black whitish pink tawny, golden real tan general whitish sandy or reddish red auburn fine lilac yellowish muddy vermilion and orange rusted black almost leaden hard and dazzling deeper reddish rich orange ashen grey strange milky natural dark yellow red dark leaden rather appropriate dead, opaque deep lavender faint hectic deeper brown distinct greenish deeper or lighter grey or dark deep leaden yellow or greenish simple or primary bright verdant excellent blue distinct blue dingy grey fresh boyish ruddy yellow dark-brown or black accurate local fair and plausible hateful yellow fresh ruddy deep tawny true real lighter, brighter perfect red healthy brown tawny red necessary local dark or black horrible green fine purple eerie pale sickly grey curious crimson curious purple pure translucent yellow regimental duller white sad green dusky high curious hazel grim reddish normal purple high, rosy ugly rusty brown, bloody startlingly complex bluish leaden fresh, high magnificent spectral unhealthy red intensive blue fresh, pale cold, coppery strange waxy

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Words to Describe colour

As you've probably noticed, adjectives for "colour" are listed above. According to the algorithm that drives this website, the top 5 adjectives for "colour" are: original khaki, diverse solar, dingy orange, white deceptive, and arterial, red. There are 995 other words to describe colour listed above. Hopefully the above generated list of words to describe colour suits your needs.

If you're getting strange results, it may be that your query isn't quite in the right format. The search box should be a simple word or phrase, like "tiger" or "blue eyes". A search for words to describe "people who have blue eyes" will likely return zero results. So if you're not getting ideal results, check that your search term, "colour" isn't confusing the engine in this manner.

Note also that if there aren't many colour adjectives, or if there are none at all, it could be that your search term has an abiguous part-of-speech. For example, the word "blue" can be an noun and an adjective. This confuses the engine and so you might not get many adjectives describing it. I may look into fixing this in the future. You might also be wondering: What type of word is colour?

Describing Words

The idea for the Describing Words engine came when I was building the engine for Related Words (it's like a thesaurus, but gives you a much broader set of related words, rather than just synonyms). While playing around with word vectors and the "HasProperty" API of conceptnet, I had a bit of fun trying to get the adjectives which commonly describe a word. Eventually I realised that there's a much better way of doing this: parse books!

Project Gutenberg was the initial corpus, but the parser got greedier and greedier and I ended up feeding it somewhere around 100 gigabytes of text files - mostly fiction, including many contemporary works. The parser simply looks through each book and pulls out the various descriptions of nouns.

Hopefully it's more than just a novelty and some people will actually find it useful for their writing and brainstorming, but one neat little thing to try is to compare two nouns which are similar, but different in some significant way - for example, gender is interesting: "woman" versus "man" and "boy" versus "girl". On an inital quick analysis it seems that authors of fiction are at least 4x more likely to describe women (as opposed to men) with beauty-related terms (regarding their weight, features and general attractiveness). In fact, "beautiful" is possibly the most widely used adjective for women in all of the world's literature, which is quite in line with the general unidimensional representation of women in many other media forms. If anyone wants to do further research into this, let me know and I can give you a lot more data (for example, there are about 25000 different entries for "woman" - too many to show here).

The blueness of the results represents their relative frequency. You can hover over an item for a second and the frequency score should pop up. The "uniqueness" sorting is default, and thanks to my Complicated Algorithm™, it orders them by the adjectives' uniqueness to that particular noun relative to other nouns (it's actually pretty simple). As you'd expect, you can click the "Sort By Usage Frequency" button to adjectives by their usage frequency for that noun.

Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source mongodb which was used in this project.

Please note that Describing Words uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy.

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