coloring

noun

col·​or·​ing ˈkə-lə-riŋ 

1

a

: the act of applying colors

b

: something that produces color or color effects

c(1)

: the effect produced by applying or combining colors

(2)

: natural color

(3)

: complexion, coloration

d

: change of appearance (as by adding color)

2

: influence, bias

3

: color sense 8

4

: timbre, quality

Synonyms

• pigment
• dye
• color
• colorant
• stain

Examples of coloring in a Sentence

Her favorite activities include playing with stuffed animals and coloring.

Our product contains no artificial coloring or flavoring.

She added some blue food coloring to the icing.

This scarf will look great with your coloring.

He has very light coloring.

Recent Examples on the Web

Benefitting from an on-trend, mustard-yellow coloring, the object is luxe without taking itself too seriously. —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025

Its coloring fades from lighter orange on its head to darker brown on its tail tip. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025

Many mass-market tequilas contain sweeteners, coloring agents or glycerin to mask shortcuts in production, Hocking warned. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025

The appeal of cabochon floors lies in their timeless design and simple coloring, which evoke a sense of both history and agelessness—an installation that is eye-catching but not attention-seeking. —Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing coloring

• coloring book

Kids Definition

coloring

noun

col·​or·​ing ˈkəl-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: the act of applying colors

2

: something that produces color

food coloring

3

: the effect produced by applying or combining colors

4

: complexion sense 1, coloration

5

: change of appearance (as by adding color)