yellow

1 of 3

adjective

yel·​low ˈye-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce yellow (audio)
 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
a
: featuring sensational or scandalous items or ordinary news sensationally distorted
yellow journalism
b
yellowish 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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
The look features bright coral eyeshadow covering the eyelid, a fuchsia shade in the crease, and a swipe of fluorescent yellow eyeliner on the outside half of the eye and right under the brow. Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, 20 July 2017 In addition to selling yellow mustard and hot sauce, the division makes ketchup, onion flavorings and other products. Nick Turner, Bloomberg.com, 19 July 2017
Noun
Living Room Suites use bold combinations of deep yellow and navy blue. Gabe Hartwig, chicagotribune.com, 9 June 2017 There isn’t even a cross walk or a speed bump or a caution sign or a flashing yellow; there is nothing but blacktop for miles. Neil Senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 June 2017
Verb
Each group is coded by color to indicate difficulty: yellow for the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple for more challenging sets. David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024 This can happen after a blood test shows that your liver function is abnormal or after a diagnosis like jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for yellow 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of yellow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near yellow

Cite this Entry

“Yellow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yellow. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

yellow

1 of 2 adjective
yel·​low ˈyel-ō How to pronounce yellow (audio)
1
a
: of the color yellow
b
: yellowish from age, disease, or discoloring
2
yellow verb
yellowness noun

yellow

2 of 2 noun
1
: a color like that of ripe lemons
2
: something yellow or yellowish

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