Showing results for "colored"

• past tense form of color.
• past participle of color.

colored

American  

[kuhl-erd] / ˈkʌl ərd /

adjective

1. having color.

2. Older Use: Offensive. belonging wholly or in part to any group of nonwhite people, especially to Black people.

3. Older Use: Offensive. pertaining to Black people.

4. influenced or biased.

   colored opinions.

5. specious; deceptive.

   The authorities detected a colored quality in her statement.

6. Botany. of some hue other than green.

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noun

1. Older Use: Offensive.

   1. a Black person.

   2. the colored, Black people as a group.

2. Cape Colored.

Sensitive Note

See Black ¹.

Usage

Spelling tips for colored The word colored is hard to spell for three 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 (colored), unlike in American English. Finally, the ending -ed is pronounced simply [ d ], so one may forget the e. How to spell colored: When it comes to color, keep it simple. You don't need any extra letters, like a double l, double r, or u. For adjectives like colored that end with the sound [ d ], remember that you will always need a little Extra (e) to get it Done, -ed.

Other Word Forms

• uncoloredness
  noun
• half-colored
  adjective
• uncolored
  adjective
• undercolored
  adjective
• well-colored
  adjective
• uncoloredly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of colored

A Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at color, -ed ³

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

colored

These hairs resemble the fine, short, light colored vellus hairs that cover much of the human body, commonly known as peach fuzz.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

The library’s email was decorated with ice cream cones and colored letters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

The new naturally colored M&M’s lineup, minus blue and brown, will be available exclusively through Amazon.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026

On June 27, Culture Clash will return to Grand Performances, a free summer concert series at California Plaza in downtown L.A., with comedic sketches colored by political and social satire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

“I colored it myself today. I was at the drugstore buying ice—did you know that I only like store-bought ice? Homemade ice tastes funny and makes my tea smell strange.”

From "Lawn Boy Returns" by Gary Paulsen