yellow

1 of 3

adjective

yel·​low ˈye-(ˌ)lō 

dialectal ˈye-lər

or ˈya-

1

a

: of the color yellow

b

: become yellowish through age, disease, or discoloration : sallow

c

sometimes offensive : having a light olive or light brown complexion

2

: featuring sensational or scandalous items or ordinary news sensationally distorted

… a long series of sweeping and irresponsible declamations in the yellow newspapers and cheap magazines …

—The Nation (New York, N.Y.)

see also yellow journalism

3

informal : cowardly

… he was too yellow to even do revenge right.

—Ishmael Reed

yellowish

ˈye-lə-wish 

adjective

yellow

2 of 3

noun

plural yellows

1

: something yellow or marked by a yellow color: such as

a

sometimes offensive : a person having light olive or light brown skin

b

: the yolk of an egg

2

a

: a color whose hue resembles that of ripe lemons or sunflowers or is that of the portion of the spectrum lying between green and orange

b

: a pigment or dye that colors yellow

3

yellows plural : jaundice

4

yellows plural in form but singular in construction : any of several plant diseases caused especially by phytoplasmas and marked by yellowing of the foliage and stunting

yellow

3 of 3

verb

yellowed; yellowing; yellows

intransitive verb

: to become or turn yellow

transitive verb

: to make yellow : give a yellow tinge or color to

yellowed by time

Synonyms of yellow

Adjective

• afraid
• scared
• chicken
• frightened
• careful
• pusillanimous
• spineless
• cowardly
• craven
• dastardly
• gutless
• unheroic

Examples of yellow in a Sentence

Adjective

He was too yellow to stand up and fight.

you'll come with us into the cave, unless you're yellow

Noun

The bridesmaids were dressed in yellow.

a room decorated in yellows and greens

Verb

The paper had yellowed with age.

The leaves were yellowed by disease.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Their honeymoon is set for Croatia and Montenegro, continuing their extensive adventures, which began with a Seoul proposal and includes a custom 11-carat yellow diamond engagement ring. — Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026

Spring also brings out the beautiful golden club with its bright yellow flowers clustered at the tip of a spike. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026

Noun

Vinčić showed yellow cards to five Madrid players, and second yellows to Eduardo Camavinga for timewasting and Arda Guler for dissent to send them off late in the game. — ABC News, 17 July 2026

Booked even earlier than Romero for a cynical foul, he was substituted partly out of fear of a second yellow in the 72nd minute. — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Verb

Smoke from wildfires has gusted over people’s homes, spreading haze and yellowing the sky. — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026

The early signs of root rot—yellowing, wilting, and dropping leaves—can fool you into thinking the plant needs more water. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English yelwe, yelow, from Old English geolu; akin to Old High German gelo yellow, Latin helvus light bay, Greek chlōros greenish yellow, Sanskrit hari yellowish

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing yellow

• canary yellow
• chrome yellow
• high yellow
• lemon yellow
• primrose yellow
• straw yellow
• sulphur yellow
• yellow-bellied
• yellow bile
• yellow birch
• yellow card
• yellow-dog
• yellow-dog contract
• yellow fever
• yellow-fever mosquito
• yellow-green alga
• yellow jack
• yellow jacket
• yellow jessamine
• yellow journalism
• yellow-legged hornet
• yellow ocher
• yellow pages
• yellow perch
• yellow peril
• yellow pine
• yellow poplar
• yellow rain
• yellow-shafted flicker
• yellow spot

Rhymes for yellow

• cello
• fellow
• jello
• mellow
• melo
• velo
• marshmallow
• morello
• othello
• schoolfellow
• portobello
• violoncello

Kids Definition

yellow

1 of 2 adjective

yel·​low ˈyel-ō 

1

a

: of the color yellow

b

: yellowish from age, disease, or discoloring

2

: cowardly sense 1

yellow verb

yellowness noun

yellow

2 of 2 noun

1

: a color like that of ripe lemons

2

: something yellow or yellowish