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 of coloring

• 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

The upholstery is of nice quality, too—no snags or sagging, at least at this point—and there’s some subtle variation in the coloring that adds a bit of depth (my bed features the Stone fabric, but bouclé is also available). —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2026

Her curly brown hair, a mix of Chopra's coloring and Jonas's texture, was depicted in the following slide. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026

Their students sit in the sun coloring in their notebooks –– in school, but effectively on holiday. —Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 25 Dec. 2025

Except for a lithic crevice that jags through the composition, and a complementary bit of green-and-yellow Mardi Gras coloring, this is a portrait of a temperamental hue. —Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 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)