beige

American  

[bayzh] / beɪʒ /

noun

1. 

   very light brown, as of undyed wool; light gray with a brownish tinge.

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adjective

1. of the color beige.

beige British  

/ beɪʒ /

noun

1. 1. a very light brown, sometimes with a yellowish tinge, similar to the colour of undyed wool

   2. ( as adjective )

      beige gloves

2. a fabric made of undyed or unbleached wool

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Etymology

Origin of beige

1855–60; < French; Old French bege, of uncertain origin

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Explanation

Beige is a tan color with a reputation for being neutral, if not boring. Khaki pants and coffee with lots of cream might be beige. Beige does not sound the way it looks. The "ei" is pronounced like a long "a" (as in "cake") and the "g" is a soft "zh" sound. This is because beige comes straight out of French, where it originally meant a fabric of the color we now know as beige. See? Beige has some interesting qualities for such a boring color.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beige

In rural Modoc County, in California’s remote northeast corner, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton donned a beige cowboy hat and climbed atop a horse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

And once my fall appetite returns — the appetite for the beige and the brown — I make mushrooms.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

Eastern, and the Federal Reserve’s beige book of economic anecdotes, due at 2 p.m.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Dressed in a beige suit and a silk scarf, Bin Hassan spoke to AFP at the Memphis Islamic Center as it hosted a candidate forum, during which voters could also learn about the new districts.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

At the end of the street, Roosevelt found himself at Palacio Guanabara, or Guanabara Palace, a frosty white and buttery beige neoclassical residence, similar in style to the White House.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

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Related Words

• camel
• cream
• khaki
• off-white
• tan
• taupe

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