tawny

1 of 2

adjective

taw·​ny ˈtȯ-nē 

ˈtä-nē

tawnier; tawniest

1

: of the color tawny

2

: of a warm sandy color

the lion's tawny coat

tawniness noun

tawny

2 of 2

noun

plural tawnies

: a brownish-orange to light brown color

Synonyms of tawny

Adjective

• blond
• golden

Examples of tawny in a Sentence

Adjective

the tawny coat of a lion

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The autumn palette here is incomparable, with maples, birches, oaks, and ash trees erupting in crimson, gold, and tawny tones. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2026

The outfit consisted of a sleeveless, mock-neck blouse in mocha-brown, tucked into a tawny suede skirt that hit just above her ankles. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 Aug. 2026

Noun

The dropping, distant tawny on the far side of Coombe Wood. — Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025

Kylie Jenner was strutting through the marble halls of the Petit Palais trying to find her seat for Schiaparelli, shoehorned into spiky stilettos and a black velvet one-arm gown, a full-size tawny lion’s head jutting from the side. — Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French tané, tauné, literally, tanned, from past participle of tanner to tan

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tawny

• bonnie
• bonny
• brawny
• connie
• johnnie
• johnny
• mani
• rani
• scrawny
• afghani
• fulani
• romani

Kids Definition

tawny

1 of 2 adjective

taw·​ny ˈtȯ-nē 

ˈtän-ē

tawnier; tawniest

: of the color tawny

tawniness noun

tawny

2 of 2 noun

plural tawnies

: a brownish orange to light brown color