Cool MateColored
UK /["/ˈkʌləd/"]/US /["/ˈkʌlərd/"]/
Definition
having a particular color or different colors
In simple words: Having a color or different colors.
Examples
- **brightly colored** balloons
- The street was ablaze with colored lights.
- vases made of colored glass
- She was wearing a cream-colored suit.
- The words are written in a **different-colored** ink.
- He uses ink and **colored pencils** in his drawings.
Usage notes
Use 'colored' to describe something that has a specific color or various colors. It's neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but avoid it when describing people to prevent offense, preferring 'people of color' instead.
Grammar pattern
standalone adjective
Memory hint
Think of a rainbow — it has many 'colors', and something that is 'colored' has one or more of them.
Collocations
- colored paper
- colored pencils
- colored lights
- colored markers
Synonyms
- painted
- dyed
- tinted
- hued
Antonyms
- colorless
- plain
Common mistakes
- 'Color' used as a verb instead of 'colored'.
- Using 'coloured' in American English instead of 'colored'.
- Confusing 'color' with 'shade'.