colorful

American  

[kuhl-er-fuhl] / ˈkʌl ər fəl /

adjective

1. abounding in color.

   In their tartans, the Scots guard made a colorful array.

2. richly eventful or picturesque.

   a colorful historical period.

3. presenting or suggesting vivid or striking scenes.

   a colorful narrative.

   Synonyms:

   dynamic, spirited, vigorous

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Usage

What does colorful mean? Colorful literally means full of color, especially a lot of different bright colors.It can also be used in a figurative way to mean rich with interesting or vividly depicted elements, such as characters or events.For example, a colorful story is one with a lot of interesting parts, locations, and especially colorful characters—people with unique (or eccentric) personalities and ways of life.A place like a restaurant or nightclub might be said to have a colorful history, meaning a lot of very interesting or unusual things have happened there.The phrase colorful language is a euphemism—it’s a polite way of referring to language that contains a lot of curse words, obscenities, or other potentially offensive terms. Colorful is sometimes used in this way in other situations as a euphemistic or humorous way of implying that something is a bit seedy, shady, or outside the mainstream, as in That place is known to have a colorful clientele, if you know what I mean—a lot of shady deals go down there. Example: The history of the museum is as colorful as the paintings that hang on its walls—it has seen some truly bizarre happenings over the years.

Other Word Forms

• colorfully adverb
• colorfulness noun
• uncolorful adjective

Etymology

Origin of colorful

First recorded in 1885–90; color + -ful

Example Sentences

So they focus on the people, who are quite the colorful clique of keglers.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was the women in his life — the “amazing, powerful, loud, colorful dynamos,” as he describes them — who inspired him to pursue a career in fashion.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead he took to wearing colorful robes while making grand processions to Friday prayers and giving interviews to the foreign press.

From The Wall Street Journal

Robert Mueller, who ran the FBI from 2001 to 2013, was known to adhere to Hoover’s G-man dress code of white shirts and dark suits, admonishing agents who wore something more colorful.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bubble tea shops are now nearly as common on British high streets as coffee chains, drawing crowds with colorful, photo friendly drinks in endless flavor combinations.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• bright
• flashy
• gaudy
• hued
• multicolored
• rich
• splashy
• vibrant
• vivid