English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From color +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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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

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Derived terms

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Translations

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