- 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:
The grounds crew let the grass grow out more than usual to start to get the coloring to fade, an employee said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Helen Guedez and her brother have chosen to disregard the ominous letter coloring the wall of the building that previously housed their dad, sister and grandmother.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 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
It appears to be a collection of her mother’s jewelry and some crystals she grew in a fridge with salt and food coloring.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
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
The agency is also looking to “revoke authorization of synthetic food colorings, including those not in production, within the coming weeks,” the outlet specified.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 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
Billy had been particularly frank in his expressions the evening before, and as they started off that morning he found opportunity to paint his feelings in vivid colorings.
From The Bachelors A Novel by Orcutt, William Dana
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.
