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colorful

A2
Fairly common

Pronunciation

UK

  • /kˈʌləfəl/

US

  • /ˈkələrfəl/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. having many or bright colors

  2. lively, vivid, or full of distinctive character

  3. using rude or profane language

Beyond the definition

When something is colorful, it's bursting with a variety of hues—think of a double rainbow, a blooming garden, or a child's art project! But "colorful" isn't just about what hits the eye. It can also describe someone with a vivid personality, full of interesting stories and unique experiences. A "colorful character" might be eccentric, flamboyant, and definitely never boring. Imagine an old sailor with tattoos covering his arms and tales from every corner of the globe—that's a colorful person! The word suggests richness and variety, whether you're describing a festival with bright costumes or a story full of imaginative details.

Examples

  1. 1

    Clothing

    She wore a colorful scarf even on gray winter days.

  2. 2

    Street market

    We bought spices and fruit at a colorful street market.

  3. 3

    Storytelling

    The teacher made history class more interesting with colorful stories from the past.

  4. 4

    Unusual person

    Everyone in the neighborhood knew Mr. Costa as a colorful character.

    • Phrasecolorful character

      an interesting and unusual person

More examples
  1. 5

    Career history

    Before opening the cafe, she had a colorful career in theater and radio.

  2. 6

    Rude language

    The manager apologized for his colorful language in the meeting.

    • Phrasecolorful language

      strong or rude words

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • colorful flowers
  • colorful clothes
  • colorful pattern
  • colorful display

Word family

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Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • colorfuladjective