mood board

American

[mood bawrd] / ˈmud ˌbɔrd /

noun

a collage of various items, as scenic snapshots, song lyrics, and mementos, used to evoke a desired feeling, style, or ambience for a project or event, and often fashioned as a starting point from which to create an inspiration board.

The wedding planner helped us put together a mood board, which set the whole tone for our reception.

mood board British

noun

a board used by designers on which samples of various colours and textures are mounted to help in deciding which elements complement each other

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mood board

First recorded in 1980–85

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.

When we were making our first record, we had a mood board for the visual landscape that we were trying to make music for.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Netflix sends the hotel a mood board with the flowers, colours and dresses used in each series to help shape the menu.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

What’s on the mood board for “Vanity”? What were you listening to and thinking about?

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2025

Creative director Ian Griffiths’ mood board included silken teddies, Belle Epoque’-inspired boule coats and photos of the French novelist Colette, whose spare style, the British designer said, inspired the collection’s simplicity.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2024

What would you say was on the mood board for each character?

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023