English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

color +‎ -ful

Pronunciation edit

Adjective edit

colorful (comparative more colorful, superlative most colorful) (American spelling)

  1. Possessing prominent and varied colors.
    • 1895, The Annual of the British School at Athens:
      It was a colourful vase with red and white hoops on the lid, and red bands above and below the main frieze. These bands also carry a metope pattern in white of triple lines and blobs, which can just be distinguished on the photographs.
  2. Interesting, multifaceted, energetic, distinctive.
    • 1895, H. Walter Staner, Henry Sturmey, The Autocar:
      One of the most colourful people in motor racing, he writes in a colourful manner.
  3. (euphemistic) Profane, obscene, offensive (usually in the phrase colourful language).
    • 2002, news.bbc.co.uk
      Hussain celebrated reaching his ton with a gesture towards the media centre, pointing to the number three on the back of his shirt and offering some colourful language.

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.