ombre

American  

[om-brey] / ˈɒm breɪ /

Or ombré

adjective

1. having a pattern in which colors or tones fade into one another: The dress has an ombre effect with various intensities of purple fading to white.

   Her ombre hair goes from brown at the top to bleached blond at the bottom.

   The dress has an ombre effect with various intensities of purple fading to white.

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ombre British  

/ ˈɒmbə /

noun

1. an 18th-century card game

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Etymology

Origin of ombre

First recorded in 1840–45; from French ombré “shadowed, shaded,” past participle of ombrer, from Italian ombrare “to cover in shadow” (in painting); see origin at umber, umbra ( def. )

Example Sentences

Young poet Gurpreet Saini, who performs at cultural festivals across India, says he sources his shawls - printed with ombre Gurmukhi letters - from Hariana, his hometown in Punjab, for a distinctive look.

From BBC • May 31, 2025

I did an ombre effect with the braids, from brown to gold, to try to pull in the colors of the river, the water, that honey amber, softness.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2024

Like Ayo Edibiri’s ombre flower gown — which reserves its bottom half to a riot of pastel flowers — Levy’s suit does nothing for the eye.

From Salon • May 7, 2024

In 2019, her daughter requested an ombre tree, and Lee obliged with decorations that transitioned from chartreuse and lime green at the top to royal and marine blues at the bottom.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2023

She looked gorgeous, with this ombre lip gloss and a deep burgundy strapless dress that set off her blond hair.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon