tint

American  

[tint] / tɪnt /

noun

1. a color or a variety of a color; hue.

2. a color diluted with white; a color of less than maximum purity, chromo, or saturation.

3. a delicate or pale color.

4. any of various commercial dyes for the hair.

5. Engraving. a uniform shading, as that produced by a series of fine parallel lines.

6. Also called tint block.  Printing. a faintly or lightly colored background upon which an illustration or the like is to be printed.

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verb (used with object)

1. to apply a tint or tints to; color slightly or delicately; tinge.

tint British  

/ tɪnt /

noun

1. a shade of a colour, esp a pale one

2. a colour that is softened or desaturated by the addition of white

3. a tinge

4. a semipermanent dye for the hair

5. a trace or hint

   a tint of jealousy in his voice

6. engraving uniform shading, produced esp by hatching

7. printing a panel of colour serving as a background to letters or other matter

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verb

1. (tr) to colour or tinge

2. (tr) to change or influence slightly

   his answer was tinted by his prior knowledge

3. (intr) to acquire a tint

Other Word Forms

• nontinted
  adjective
• overtint
  verb
• overtint
  noun
• retint
  verb (used with object)
• tinter
  noun
• untinted
  adjective
• well-tinted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tint

First recorded in 1710–20; variant of tinct

Explanation

A tint is a shade or type of color. You might describe ocean water during a storm as having tints of green and gray. After you play with your dog in the snow, your cold cheeks might take on a tint of pink. And an artist might change the color of the sky in a painting with a tint of purple. Tint is also a verb, meaning "shade" or "color very slightly." So rinsing beets will probably tint your white sink. Before it evolved into tint, the word was tinct, from the Latin tinctus, "a dyeing."

Example Sentences

As plant debris and soil organic matter wash into the lake from surrounding forests, they tint the water a deep brown.

From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026

Finish with fresh herbs and a quick yogurt sauce: lemon juice, chopped herbs and enough Old Bay to tint it faintly coral.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

The arrangements give the material a different tint.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 14, 2025

They’ve even found their way into makeup; Hailey Bieber’s brand Rhode released a popular peptide-packed lip tint last year, and you can find them in mascara, eye shadow, blush … the list goes on.

From Slate • May 4, 2025

The light around them had a blue tint, and even though the gray sky hid the sun, they could see the clear outline of a crescent moon.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• coloration
• complexion
• glow
• hue
• tinge