paint

1 of 2

verb

ˈpānt

painted; painting; paints

Synonyms of paint next

transitive verb

a(1)

: to apply color, pigment, or paint to

(2)

: to color with a cosmetic

b(1)

: to apply with a movement resembling that used in painting

(2)

: to treat with a liquid by brushing or swabbing

paint the wound with iodine

a(1)

: to produce in lines and colors on a surface by applying pigments

(2)

: to depict by such lines and colors

: to decorate, adorn, or variegate by applying lines and colors

: to produce or evoke as if by painting

paints glowing pictures of the farm

: to touch up or cover over by or as if by painting

: to depict as having specified or implied characteristics

paints them whiter than the evidence justifies—

Oliver La Farge

intransitive verb

: to practice the art of painting

: to use cosmetics

paint

2 of 2

noun

: the action of painting : something produced by painting

: makeup

especially : a cosmetic to add color

a(1)

: a mixture of a pigment and a suitable liquid to form a closely adherent coating when spread on a surface in a thin coat

(2)

: the pigment used in this mixture especially when in the form of a cake

a box of paints

: an applied coating of paint

or paint horse : a horse marked with patches of white and another color : pinto

specifically : american paint horse

: free throw lane

: color manipulation on a computer screen in a manner reminiscent of painting

—usually used before another noun

a paint program

Examples of paint in a Sentence

Verb I need to paint the bookcase. We're going to paint the room yellow. The classroom wall was painted with clouds and rainbows. He painted that portrait of his wife. She painted the landscape on a square canvas. I like to draw and my sister likes to paint. The beauty of the world inspires me to paint. He paints mostly in oils. The study paints a bleak picture of the effects of pollution on animal life. Noun Apply paint to the canvas in a series of short strokes. I need more blue paint. The old walls are coated with several layers of paint. a can of latex paint The house needs a fresh coat of paint. The store sells many different paints. Did you chip the paint? The car's paint is cracking. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Twice this year, Congress has voted to block D.C. bills over concerns about public safety; and hearings proved fertile ground for House Republicans to paint Democratic leadership as unequipped to address crime. —

Michael Brice-Saddler, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023 Excavations have also revealed perforated and sometimes painted shells that were likely strung together and worn. —

Tim Vernimmen, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2023 Wondery In a shopping mall in Los Angeles’ Century City, a 1,200-square-foot room has been painted green, covered in Christmas decorations and filled with an espresso bar, a cotton candy stand, and a step-and-repeat for photoshoots. —

Katie Deighton, WSJ, 5 Dec. 2023 Also in the post was a video of Sánchez painting nutcrackers with kids and a photo with Santa Claus. —

Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 5 Dec. 2023 Prosecutor's say Jabbari's testimony paints a picture of systemic abuse by Majors that culminated with the events of March 25, 2023, in Chelsea. —

Cbs New York Team, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2023 But what the official did not examine in the notebook painted a fuller portrait. —

John Eligon Joao Silva, New York Times, 4 Dec. 2023 Most of them were small-time forgeries, such as a fossilized bird with false feathers painted on it and a headless aquatic reptile with the skull of another individual grafted on to make the skeleton complete. —

Daniel T. Ksepka, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023 His face is painted like a skeleton, his mask is horned and he’s surrounded by flames. —

Hector Diaz, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023

Noun

The team outscored Utah 76-52 in the paint while holding the Jazz to 38.8% from the field and 25% from three. —

Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023 That’s where the broken lines of green paint come in. —

Judy Berlfein, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023 How to Paint a Wall with Limewash Add richness, depth, and dimension to a room with this limewash wall paint technique. —

Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023 This craft advent calendar comes with 24 craft supplies, including acrylic pants, watercolors, modeling paste, paint brushes, and more to spark creative projects. —

Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 18 Nov. 2023 The white paint on the left is from the porch of a beach house with a very small driveway that was packed with cars at the time. —

Heather Havrilesky, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Earth-tone paint colors offer an ideal backdrop for furniture, as well as a host of soul-soothing benefits. —

Elizabeth Sweet, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Nov. 2023 Crouching at the entrance of San Francisco City Hall, Jason Jacobs brushed gold paint onto the ornate doorway of the Beaux-Arts building. —

Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 Several layers of paint and six layers of varnish made conservation difficult, said to Becca Hellen, the Trust's senior national conservator for paintings. —

Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French paint, peint, past participle of peindre, from Latin pingere to tattoo, embroider, paint; akin to Old English fāh variegated, Greek poikilos variegated, pikros sharp, bitter

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a(1)

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler

The first known use of paint was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century