hue

¹ American  

[hyoo, yoo] / hyu, yu /

noun

1. a gradation or variety of a color; tint.

   pale hues.

2. the property of light by which the color of an object is classified as red, blue, green, or yellow in reference to the spectrum.

3. color.

   all the hues of the rainbow.

4. form or appearance.

5. complexion.

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hue ² American  

[hyoo] / hyu /

noun

1. outcry, as of pursuers; clamor.

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Hué ³ American  

[hwey] / ʰweɪ /

noun

1. a seaport in central Vietnam: former capital of Annam.

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Hué ¹ British  

/ ɥe /

noun

1. a port in central Vietnam, on the delta of the Hué River near the South China Sea: former capital of the kingdom of Annam, of French Indochina (1883–1946), and of Central Vietnam (1946–54). Pop: 377 000 (2005 est)

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hue ² British  

/ hjuː /

noun

1. the attribute of colour that enables an observer to classify it as red, green, blue, purple, etc, and excludes white, black, and shades of grey See also colour

2. a shade of a colour

3. aspect; complexion

   a different hue on matters

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hue Scientific  

/ hyo̅o̅ /

1. The property of colors by which they are seen as ranging from red through orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, as determined by the dominant wavelength of the light.

2. Compare saturation value

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Other Word Forms

• hueless adjective

Etymology

Origin of hue¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English hewe, Old English hīw “appearance, color, form”; cognate with Old Norse hȳ “bird's down,” Swedish hy “complexion, skin,” Gothic hiwi “appearance, form”; akin to Old English hār “gray” ( hoar )

Origin of hue²

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English hu(e), from Middle French: “a hoot, outcry” (whence huer “to hoot, cry out”)

Example Sentences

Pink appears to have been a favorite hue for Plaza, with the primary bathroom painted in a very pale rose, while the primary bathroom also features fun lighting fixtures in a similar color.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

The most technical definitions rely on comparison: lighter than one hue, deeper than another.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

In the past, he has worn the hue to honor Prince.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

The full lunar eclipse, and Blood Moon as it is known, was not visible in the UK but some people may have seen its orange hue.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Among them, nodding on slender stalks, were other flowers, white and palest green: they glimmered as a mist amid the rich hue of the grass.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

• complexion
• tinge
• tint
• tone