desaturated

American  

[dee-sach-uh-rey-tid] / diˈsætʃ əˌreɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. (of a color) formed by mixing a color of the spectrum with white.

---

Etymology

Origin of desaturated

First recorded in 1910–15; de- + saturate + -ed ²

Example Sentences

“In the beginning we have really shiny, saturated colors, but in her process of discovering the reality of existence, the colors become more desaturated, less bright.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

“The desaturated approach also speaks to millennial color sensibilities, like Pepto-Bismol pink, pale yellows and other desaturated colors that have been the fad in recent years.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2023

The dour, desaturated palette gives “Women Talking” an appropriate air of timelessness but also saps vitality and visual interest from a frame that is taken up with — what else? — women talking.

From Washington Post • Jan. 4, 2023

“The Estate” features a desaturated color palette, and the production design looks shabby, even inside Hilda’s multimillion-dollar mansion.

From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2022

These ads' audiovisual aesthetics seek to persuade viewers through desaturated colors, especially wan blues and grays.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2022