- present participle of color.
coloring
AmericanUsage
Spelling tips for coloring The word coloring is hard to spell for two reasons. First, it can be tempting to use a double l or double r. Second, in British English, the word is spelled with a u (colouring), unlike in American English. How to spell coloring: When it comes to color, keep it simple. Too much color, and too many letters, is distracting. You don't need any extra letters, like a double l, double r, or u. Then, you add the suffix -ing to the base word color to form coloring.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of coloring
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at color, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Jobs, goods and services have all but disappeared, with uncertainty coloring the future.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
Imagine squeezing a drop of food coloring into flowing water.
From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026
Their vivid blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Sun and star motifs rendered in gold enhance the gem’s night sky coloring, while the classic flower designs celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Louis Vuitton Monogram.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
Cutting and coloring the thin cardboard from cereal boxes to make Mariposa passports for her friends and family.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
If the Renaissance had been known as the Resurrection, might we be more aware of the period’s metaphysical colorings?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2025
Examples that can be found around us include various amino acids, including monosodium glutamate, food proteins, enzymes, flavoring compounds, food colorings, and bioactive substances.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 12, 2024
Those concerns have began to spur the demand for natural colorings — and there was Mexico’s cochineal dye all along.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
You can also dye the icing with natural food colorings, from red and orange to green and blue; more on those variations here.
From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2022
The water itself is colorless and the different hues must be imparted by the colorings of the lime deposits, influenced by the varying depth and temperature of the water.
From The Lure of the Camera by Olcott, Charles S.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
