Dictionary

colorful en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /kəˈlɜʳ.fʊl/ (South-Asia)
• /ˈkə.lə.fʊl/ (South-Asia)
• [kɐ.lɜ(ː)(ɾ).fʊl] (South-Asia)
• /ˈkʌl.ə.fl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkʌl.əɹ.fl̩/ (General-American)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From color + -ful.

Meanings

1. (US) Possessing prominent and varied colors.
   • Blue and gold macaws are not native to Caracas. But over the past two decades their numbers in Venezuela's capital have skyrocketed, with hundreds of these birds now flying freely across the city, and dazzling locals with their colorful feathers and peculiar calls. 2026 April 18, Manuel Rueda, “Caracas' iconic macaws threatened by vanishing palm trees”, in National Public Radio, Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio:
   • [Sen. John Curtis] gives colorful socks to other lawmakers on their birthdays. 2025 January 28, Cameron Joseph, “Meet Mitt Romney’s replacement – who could make or break the Trump agenda”, in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts: Christian Science Publishing Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Mar 2025:
   • a colourful display of flowers
   • 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. 1895, The Annual of the British School at Athens:
2. (US) Interesting, multifaceted, energetic, distinctive.
   • He had a colourful career in the music industry.
   • One of the most colourful people in motor racing, he writes in a colourful manner. 1895, H. Walter Staner, Henry Sturmey, The Autocar:
3. (US, euphemistic) Profane, obscene, offensive (usually in the phrase colourful language).
   • 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. 2002 July 14, “Did Hussain go too far?”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 28 Feb 2019:

Forms

Deriveds

uncolorful · colourful bluetail · noncolorful · colorfully · colorfulness

Synonyms

motley (possessing prominent and varied colors) · polychromatic · multicolored

Translations (114)

haw nui nā waihoʻoluʻu (possessing prominent and varied colors) · tr renkli (possessing prominent and varied colors) · de bunt (possessing prominent and varied colors) · da farverig (possessing prominent and varied colors) · fr coloré (interesting, multifaceted) · hu színes (possessing prominent and varied colors) · hi रंगीला (possessing prominent and varied colors) · es florido ((euphemistic) profane) · cs zajímavý (interesting, multifaceted) · cs pestrobarevný (possessing prominent and varied colors) · bg колоритен (possessing prominent and varied colors) · de farbig (possessing prominent and varied colors) · vi sặc sỡ (possessing prominent and varied colors) · fi värikäs (interesting, multifaceted) · yue 花哩碌 (possessing prominent and varied colors) · fa رنگارنگ (possessing prominent and varied colors) · de farbig (interesting, multifaceted) · ga dathannach (possessing prominent and varied colors) · it vivace (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ru разноцве́тный (possessing prominent and varied colors) · vo kölagik (possessing prominent and varied colors) · kmr rengîn (possessing prominent and varied colors) · gl colorido (possessing prominent and varied colors) · tl makulay (possessing prominent and varied colors) · es lleno (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl różnobarwny (possessing prominent and varied colors) · io koloroza (possessing prominent and varied colors) · cs pestrý (interesting, multifaceted) · cmn 豐富多彩 /丰富多彩 (interesting, multifaceted) · sv färgglad (possessing prominent and varied colors) · nb fargerik (possessing prominent and varied colors) · af kleurvol (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ps رنګین (possessing prominent and varied colors) · si වර්ණවත් (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl wielokolorowy (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl barwny (interesting, multifaceted) · pl kolorowy (possessing prominent and varied colors) · uk барви́стий (possessing prominent and varied colors) · bg колоритен (interesting, multifaceted) · eo bunta (possessing prominent and varied colors) · es de color (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl barwisty (interesting, multifaceted) · bg пъ́стър (possessing prominent and varied colors) · nl kleurrijk (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ru я́ркий (interesting, multifaceted) · tr rengarenk (possessing prominent and varied colors) · it colorato (possessing prominent and varied colors) · nn fargerik (possessing prominent and varied colors) · te రంగురంగుల (possessing prominent and varied colors) · da blomstrende ((euphemistic) profane) · la colōrātus (possessing prominent and varied colors) · fi värikäs (possessing prominent and varied colors) · fi värikäs ((euphemistic) profane) · ckb ڕەنگاوڕەنگ (possessing prominent and varied colors) · cmn 豔 /艳 (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl wielobarwny (possessing prominent and varied colors) · es lleno de color (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl tęczowy (possessing prominent and varied colors) · yue 五顏六色 /五颜六色 (possessing prominent and varied colors) · bg цветист (possessing prominent and varied colors) · de kunterbunt (possessing prominent and varied colors) · cs barvitý (interesting, multifaceted) · ca colorit (possessing prominent and varied colors) · cy lliwgar (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl różnokolorowy (possessing prominent and varied colors) · es de color (interesting, multifaceted) · vi đầy sinh lực (interesting, multifaceted) · de farbenreich (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pl barwisty (possessing prominent and varied colors) · gv yl-ghaait (possessing prominent and varied colors) · uk колори́тний (interesting, multifaceted) · es colorado ((euphemistic) profane) · sw ya rangi nyingi (possessing prominent and varied colors) · he צִבְעוֹנִי (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ms berwarna-warni (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ga ildaite (possessing prominent and varied colors) · cs pestrý (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ru колори́тный (interesting, multifaceted) · pdt bunt (possessing prominent and varied colors) · zza kelebelek (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ckb ئاڵوواڵا (possessing prominent and varied colors) · fr coloré (possessing prominent and varied colors) · pt colorido (possessing prominent and varied colors) · is litríkur (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ro multicolor (possessing prominent and varied colors) · vi đầy nghị lực (interesting, multifaceted) · el πολύχρωμος (possessing prominent and varied colors) · tr alaca (possessing prominent and varied colors) · yi פֿילפֿאַרביק (possessing prominent and varied colors) · cs barevný (possessing prominent and varied colors) · uk різнокольоро́вий (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ru я́ркий (possessing prominent and varied colors) · uk яскра́вий (interesting, multifaceted) · sh šaren (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ka ჭრელი (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ro colorat (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ro colorat (interesting, multifaceted) · sq shumëngjyrësh (possessing prominent and varied colors) · de farbenfroh (possessing prominent and varied colors) · it variopinto (possessing prominent and varied colors) · vi rực rỡ (possessing prominent and varied colors) · hi रंगीन (possessing prominent and varied colors) · br livek (possessing prominent and varied colors) · de farbenprächtig (possessing prominent and varied colors) · bg интересен (interesting, multifaceted) · kw liwus (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ru цвета́стый (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ja カラフル (possessing prominent and varied colors) · vi báng bổ ((euphemistic) profane) · sv färgrik (possessing prominent and varied colors) · da farverig (interesting, multifaceted) · hy գունագեղ (possessing prominent and varied colors) · sh raznobojan (possessing prominent and varied colors) · ur رنگین (possessing prominent and varied colors)