tawny

American  

[taw-nee] / ˈtɔ ni /

Sometimes tawney

adjective

tawnier, tawniest

1. of a dark yellowish or dull yellowish-brown color.

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noun

1. a shade of brown tinged with yellow; dull yellowish brown.

tawny British  

/ ˈtɔːnɪ /

noun

1. 1. a light brown to brownish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      tawny port

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Other Word Forms

• tawnily
  adverb
• tawniness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of tawny

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English tauny, from Anglo-French taune, from Middle French tané, past participle of taner “to tan”; see tan ¹

Explanation

A color adjective, tawny describes something that is a mix of yellow, orange, and brown colors. A lion has a beautiful tawny coat. Tawny comes from the Anglo-Norman word, taune, which means tanned. Although you might think first of sun tans, which do indeed produce tawny colors in light-skinned people (as long as they don't go straight to lobster red), tan first meant the bark of an oak tree, used to cure leather. It's from the look of tanned leather that we get skin tans and the word tawny.

Example Sentences

Tawny owls, jays and even foxes have since been spotted among the monuments; many of these creatures are depicted in striking photographs taken by the author that pepper the text.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

"Tawny and barn owls are often clipped by cars when they swoop low between fields," she said.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2024

Mr. Antle’s daughters Tawny Antle and Tilakam Watterson, who also faced misdemeanor animal cruelty charges, were cleared of all counts.

From New York Times • Jun. 21, 2023

And of course, the ‘Yellowjackets’ ladies will be in heavy contention, with Melanie Lynskey and Tawny Cypress both having shots.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2023

“Oh, Roz, you’ve been busy!” said Tawny as her family grazed on the wonderland of growing things.

From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown