Painted Desert

American  

noun

1. a region in N central Arizona, E of the Colorado River: many-colored rock surfaces.

---

Painted Desert British  

noun

1. a section of the high plateau country of N central Arizona, along the N side of the Little Colorado River Valley: brilliant-coloured rocks; occupied largely by Navaho and Hopi Indians. Area: about 20 000 sq km (7500 sq miles)

---

Painted Desert Cultural  

1. Hundreds of miles of sandstone formations with a remarkable range of colors; located in northeastern Arizona.

---

Example Sentences

The Painted Desert portion of Petrified Forest National Park includes broad vistas and richly varied mineral colors.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

In 2012, he created the Painted Desert Project, in which fellow artists work with young people on the Navajo Nation and create public art.

From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2021

Traveling north on 89A, you’ll pass through the Navajo Nation and enjoy sweeping views of the Painted Desert and Hopi mesas, remnants of the area’s volcanic past.

From The Guardian • May 25, 2018

Crossing the Painted Desert, she and her companions slept one night in their convertible, bundled in fur coats and steamer blankets.

From Washington Post • Apr. 16, 2015

He used his power and influence to protect and conserve 230 million acres of American forest, desert, and plains, including the Grand Canyon, Muir Woods, Yosemite, and the Painted Desert, to name a few.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple