coloring

1 of 2

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

coloring

2 of 2

present participle of color entry 2

Synonyms of coloring

Noun

• pigment
• dye
• color
• colorant
• stain

Examples of coloring in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

There was a time when skincare did the treating and makeup did the covering and coloring. — Mickey Williams, Flow Space, 17 Sep. 2026

Unlike plants that produce clear fiber and color it later, Prysmian holds a patent for coloring fiber directly on the draw tower. — Charlotte Observer, 15 Sep. 2026

With its classic Chicago Bulls coloring, the Charcoal style features a Black/Varsity Red/Dark Charcoal combination that mixes black and dark gray with a red liner, heel tab and branding touches. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 15 Sep. 2026

For a graph with n vertices, the coloring process would require n2 steps. — Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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)