colorful

adjective

col·​or·​ful ˈkə-lər-fəl How to pronounce colorful (audio)
Synonyms of colorfulnext
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
ˈkə-lər-f(ə-)lē How to pronounce colorful (audio)
adverb
colorfulness
ˈkə-lər-fəl-nəs How to pronounce colorful (audio)
noun

Synonyms of colorful

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of colorful in a Sentence

I wore a colorful outfit. He gave a colorful account of his travels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The scent of burning copal filled the air on a recent Monday night as Nury Ortega placed a headdress of long, colorful feathers on her head. — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026 Adding berry-laden shrubs to your home landscape creates colorful interest and food sources for humans or wildlife. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 6 Sep. 2026 Like their friendship, their footwear game is often perfect together, consisting of colorful moments that complement one another. — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 6 Sep. 2026 In the resort-view rooms, which start at an ample 535 square feet, the king bed is the focal point, topped with oversized white pillows and crisp white linens imprinted with monarch butterflies, a nod to the area’s colorful inhabitants. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for colorful

Word History

Etymology

color entry 1 + -ful entry 1

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of colorful was in 1848

Phrases Containing colorful

Browse Nearby Words

color force
colorful
colorful character
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Colorful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colorful. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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
-f(ə-)lē How to pronounce colorful (audio)
adverb
colorfulness
-fəl-nəs How to pronounce colorful (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All