paint
Americannoun
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paints
plural
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a substance composed of solid coloring matter suspended in a liquid medium and applied as a protective or decorative coating to various surfaces, or to canvas or other materials in producing a work of art.
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an application of this.
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the dried surface pigment.
Don't scuff the paint.
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the solid coloring matter alone; pigment.
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facial cosmetics, especially lipstick, rouge, etc., designed to heighten natural color.
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Chiefly Western U.S. a pied, calico, or spotted horse or pony; pinto.
verb (used with object)
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paints,
present (3rd person singular)
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painted,
past participle, past
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painting
present participle
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to coat, cover, or decorate (something) with paint.
to paint a fence.
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to produce (a picture, design, etc.) in paint.
to paint a portrait.
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to represent in paint, as in oils, tempera, or watercolor.
to paint an actress as the Muse of tragedy.
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to depict as if by painting; describe vividly in words.
The ads painted the resort as a winter wonderland.
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to color by or as if by painting.
Sunset painted the clouds pink.
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to apply a substance to, as a liquid medicine or a cosmetic.
to paint a cut with iodine.
verb (used without object)
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paints,
present (3rd person singular)
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painted,
past participle, past
-
painting
present participle
-
to coat or cover anything with paint.
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to engage in painting as an art.
She has begun to paint in her spare time.
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to put on or use facial cosmetics.
idioms
noun
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a substance used for decorating or protecting a surface, esp a mixture consisting of a solid pigment suspended in a liquid, that when applied to a surface dries to form a hard coating
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a dry film of paint on a surface
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the solid pigment of a paint before it is suspended in liquid
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informal face make-up, such as rouge
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short for greasepaint
verb
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to make (a picture) of (a figure, landscape, etc) with paint applied to a surface such as canvas
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to coat (a surface) with paint, as in decorating
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(tr) to apply (liquid) onto (a surface)
her mother painted the cut with antiseptic
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(tr) to apply make-up onto (the face, lips, etc)
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(tr) to describe vividly in words
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informal to celebrate uninhibitedly; go on a spree
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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paintsimple
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paintssimple
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have paintedperfect
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has paintedperfect
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am paintingprogressive
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are paintingprogressive
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is paintingprogressive
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have been paintingperfect progressive
-
has been paintingperfect progressive
Past
-
paintedsimple
-
had paintedperfect
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was paintingprogressive
-
were paintingprogressive
-
had been paintingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of paint
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English peinten (verb), from Old French peint “painted,” past participle of peindre “to paint,” from Latin pingere; see picture
Explanation
Paint is a liquid, colored substance you can use to decorate or protect a surface. If you want your bedroom walls to be bright purple, you need to buy some purple paint. Artists use paint to create landscapes, portraits, and other styles of paintings, and house painters use paint to coat and protect the wood siding on houses. When you paint, you make a painting, or cover something with paint: "First I'm going to paint your portrait, and after you paint that wall in your kitchen, we can hang it there." When someone "paints the town red," they don't literally paint anything — they just go on a celebratory spree.
Vocabulary lists containing paint
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.
See Examples For:
“When I make a painting, I have control of the paint and the brushstroke and image,” Herman says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The Dutch paint company said the agreements with Nippon Paint encompass its decorative paints business in seven countries: Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Cong has bewildered opponents at weigh-ins while wearing the face paint, and says she even adopts the Joker alias when using social media messaging back home in China.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The cameras compile license plate numbers and other identifying information, including make, model, paint color, dents and bumper stickers.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
Every step I took, the paint followed; limping along beside me.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
“It paints the picture of this later equity cycle environment, where correlations are lower, and we have these credit spreads widening out as well,” Wald told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
Youth Scotland, citing research by Unison,, external paints a similar picture.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
On a street in southern Israel, a graffiti artist paints a mural depicting the filmmakers behind the award-winning documentary "NAZA".
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
A man paints the scene from the tunnel view.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
He paints during the day; at night he draws a series of thirty heads, up close.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
The original clear stain was later painted a light green, then a dark green, then blue and is now back to green.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
It is a category B-listed structure and was originally painted white.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
More broadly, the billionaire boss painted a vision of a future in which the AI agent becomes increasingly intertwined in our lives.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
The new court has been put in but not finished as school colors have yet to be painted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026
She’s certain that “urban chicken enthusiasts” want funky painted coops.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
On Wednesday, teachers were busy helping students with artwork in various stages of completion, including a painting of Boyle with a halo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The cover for his debut solo studio album, “Indigo,” depicts Hyong-keun’s 1972 painting “Blue,” and the album’s lead track, “Yun,” a collaboration with Erykah Badu, kicks off with recorded dialogue from the artist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
The painting has only been to auction once before, selling for more than £30 million.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
A $2 painting of a leopard dangling from a branch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The terrified baroness extended a shaking hand toward the sheeted painting.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
