colorful

adjective

col·​or·​ful ˈkə-lər-fəl 

1

: having striking colors

colorful scenery

2

a

: full of variety or interest

a colorful description

b

of speech : rude, offensive

… he had begun to gamble and use colorful language …

—Yohannes Edemariam

colorfully

ˈkə-lər-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

colorfulness

ˈkə-lər-fəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of colorful

• colored
• varied
• rainbow
• vibrant
• various

Examples of colorful in a Sentence

I wore a colorful outfit.

He gave a colorful account of his travels.

Recent Examples on the Web

The colorful, exclusive variants The vinyl resurgence can largely be traced back to Taylor Swift, who has promoted her albums as artsy collectibles, sometimes including additional songs, posters or poems for her dedicated fanbase. —Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 14 Dec. 2025

The shower, composed of debris from the trailing asteroid 3200 Phaethon, is known for being bright and colorful. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025

The final room of the exhibition, dominated by a colorful mural of breakdancers, is dedicated to paying it forward. —Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Dec. 2025

This colorful soup might look tedious, but thanks to rotisserie chicken and store-bought gnocchi dinner just got a whole lot easier. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

color entry 1 + -ful entry 1

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing colorful

• colorful character

Kids Definition

colorful

adjective

col·​or·​ful ˈkəl-ər-fəl 

1

: having noticeable colors

2

: full of variety or interest

a colorful personality

colorfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb

colorfulness

-fəl-nəs 

noun