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• hue
  hue

  noun

  a gradation or variety of a color; tint.
• Hué
  Hué

  noun

  a seaport in central Vietnam: former capital of Annam.

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” ( see 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”)

Explanation

Green, orange, yellow, and blue — each of these is a hue, a color or a shade that's true. A rainbow shows the melting of one hue into another, from red to violet, and all shades in between. The noun hue means both a color and a shade of a color. Green is a hue, and turquoise is a hue of both green and blue. Most of the time the word hue refers to colors, but sometimes it's used for shades of meaning or even the tone of a person's face, as in "The speech had a hue of politics — disguised with humor — that turned the mayor's face from a pale hue to red as he laughed."

Example Sentences

According to witnesses, a "hue and cry" drew villagers to the spot where Nath and Das were being held.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Then the stage lit up to show a carved-out cave in a cliffside, housing an absolutely killer all-femme backing band in the grotto and a full company of dancers in every hue of the Americas.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Also known as erythrosine, the synthetic, petroleum-based dye gives certain foods, like candies and frozen desserts, a bright, cherry-red hue.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

There’s a signature warm, intimate-feeling hue to the shots, with each guest’s hair and eyes lit up with just the right amount of twinkle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

She had a heart problem that at times changed her pallor to a purplish hue and forced her to rest on her haunches to catch her breath.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Related Words

• complexion
• tinge
• tint
• tone