Most of life is full of color, from the great outdoors to commercial malls. When writing, it can be difficult to capture all the colors of the rainbow. From time to time, it’s okay to pepper our writing with generic words like “bright” or “colorful.” But, what if we could do better?
What if we provided commentary on flaming leaves and monochromatic skies? Sounds a little more interesting, right? Read on to enjoy a list of words to describe colors. Let’s see if any of them will pop up in your next piece of writing.
Words that Embrace Color
Descriptive words for color can evoke a positive feeling, a negative feeling, or simply express the facts. Certainly, when they have a positive connotation, they’re going to express bright and cheery emotions. Let’s take a look:
- Ablaze - Radiant with bright color
- Beaming - Bright; shining
- Bold - Bright; vivid
- Bright - Brilliant in color
- Brilliant - Vivid; intense
- Colorful - Full of vivid colors
- Dappled - Having a spotted surface
- Deep - Dark; rich
- Delicate - Subtle; slight
- Electric - Bright; metallic
- Festive - Celebratory; merry
- Fiery - Burning or glowing like fire
- Flamboyant - Extravagant; exuberant
- Flaming - Resembling a flame or fire
- Fresh - Recent; new
- Glistening - Sparkling or shining like glitter
- Glittering - Shining; sparkling
- Glowing - Producing light or warmth
- Harmonious - Colors that blend well together
- Iridescent - Something with rainbow-like colors
- Jazzy - Lively; bright
- Opalescent - Having a milky iridescence like an opal
- Prismatic - Multi-colored; brilliant; bright
- Radiant - Glowing; bright
- Sepia - A reddish/brown color, like old photographs
- Vibrant - Full of color
- Vivid - Bright, intense colors
Color Words with Negative Connotations
Not everything is for everyone. When we’re met with something overly colorful or drab, we need to find the right words to convey that feeling. See if any of these words will work for your next writing piece:
- Ashy - Having the color of ash; pale
- Bleak - Gloomy; somber; not colorful
- Blotchy - Discolored or patchy
- Brash - Abrasive; tacky
- Chintzy - Cheap-looking
- Cold - Depressing; saddening
- Colorless - Lacking color; dull
- Dark - Lacking in light
- Dim - Not bright
- Discolored - Deprived of color; given the wrong color
- Drab - A dull, yellowish-brown color
- Harsh - Disagreeable; unpleasant
- Loud - Overly intense
- Muddy - Not clear
- Opaque - Incapable of allowing light to pass through
- Saturated - Overfly full
- Showy - Gaudy; too flashy
- Sickly - Having a pallor that reflects being nauseated
- Somber - Dark; gloomy; dull
- Sooty - Black or dusky in color
- Splashy - Attracting too much attention
- Stained - An unwanted spot
- Uneven - Not smooth; irregular
- Washed-out - Lacking color; faded
- Watery - Containing too much water; diluted
Words that Express a Little Color
Sometimes, less is more. Things can be totally colorless, monochromatic, or full of muted tones. When that’s the message you’re trying to convey, see if any of these illustrators will do:
- Colorless - Dull or lacking in color
- Dotted - A series of small spots or marks
- Faded - Less bright
- Flecked - Having a spot or small patch of color
- Light - Lacking brightness or saturation
- Monochromatic - Having one color
- Monotone - All one color
- Muted - Subdued or softened colors
- Neutral - Having very little color
- Pale - Something light in color or washed out
- Primary - Basic color
- Rustic - Plain; simple
- Tinged - A small amount of color
- Tinted - Slightly colored
- Translucent - Allowing light to pass through
- Transparent - Clear; see-through
Paint Your Words with Color
Painters paint their canvas with paint brushes; writers paint their pages with pens and keyboards. The mediums are different but the embrace of expression is the same. Are you ready to take your musings on the world and translate them into a short story? Then, let’s get creative with color word palettes. Continue exploring the world of color with color words from basic to beautiful.