colorful

adjective

col·​or·​ful ˈkə-lər-fəl How to pronounce colorful (audio)
1
: having striking colors
colorful scenery
2
a
: full of variety or interest
a colorful description
b
of speech : rude, offensive
… he had begun to gamble and use colorful language …Yohannes Edemariam
colorfully adverb
colorfulness noun

Examples of colorful in a Sentence

I wore a colorful outfit. He gave a colorful account of his travels.
Recent Examples on the Web The dozens of colorful, eccentric floats told the story of Irish legacy in Corktown and honored Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick. Detroit Free Press, 11 Mar. 2024 In the background, a giant bull with colorful pre-Hispanic decorations shined under the sun, where a group of young artisans were busy with the final touches. Fernanda Pesce and Alexis Triboulard, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 Wearing a giant number one on his chest and eating a colorful birthday cake, James looked down while his mom snapped his photo. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 9 Mar. 2024 Now searching for a new owner: Downtown Los Angeles high-rise rich in colorful anecdotes from its history, albeit most quite haunting. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 But the movie’s pockets of colorful hallucinatory surrealism are quite stunning in their construction, even if the mystery and character work are lackluster in retrospect. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 Some were in leg warmers, colorful coats or being pushed in buggies. Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2024 The colorful cans come in four decidedly unoriginal, Spindrift-esque flavors: lime, grapefruit, peach, and black cherry. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 8 Mar. 2024 The super colorful Tasra backpack from outdoorsy outfitter Cotopaxi meets those qualifications perfectly. Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'colorful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colorful was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near colorful

Cite this Entry

“Colorful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colorful. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

colorful

adjective
col·​or·​ful ˈkəl-ər-fəl How to pronounce colorful (audio)
1
: having noticeable colors
2
: full of variety or interest
a colorful personality
colorfully adverb
colorfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on colorful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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