tinge

1 of 2

noun

1
: a slight staining or suffusing shade or color
2
: an affective or modifying property or influence : touch
a tinge of guilt

tinge

2 of 2

verb

tinged; tingeing or tinging ˈtin-jiŋ How to pronounce tinge (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to color with a slight shade or stain : tint
b
: to affect or modify with a slight odor or taste
2
: to affect or modify in character

Examples of tinge in a Sentence

Noun showing a tinge of color dark hair with reddish tinges Verb The ink tinged his fingers blue. just slightly tinge the frosting with yellow food coloring to give it a lemony look
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Her new record, which dropped April 18, is a 14-track collection of alternative, dark-pop with tinges of hip-hop and electronic music. Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 Classical composers such as Dmitri Shostakovich and Sergei Rachmaninoff had this dark quality with a tinge of beauty to them. Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Verb
Cut from resin and tinged with a baroque touch, the old-fashioned jewelry trend is seeing a new life on and off the catwalk. Jessica Scemama, Glamour, 6 July 2025 The color on her lips wasn’t completely dissimilar to the shimmer on her lids and under her eyes; only the shadow above her nose was tinged with dusty brown and specks of amber. Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tinge

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin tingere to dip, moisten, tinge; akin to Greek tengein to moisten and probably to Old High German dunkōn to dip

First Known Use

Noun

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tinge was in 1577

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tinge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinge. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tinge

1 of 2 verb
tinged; tingeing or tinging ˈtin-jiŋ How to pronounce tinge (audio)
: to color or flavor slightly

tinge

2 of 2 noun
: a slight coloring, flavor, or quality
a reddish tinge
a tinge of mystery

More from Merriam-Webster on tinge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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