hue

noun

ˈhyü 

1

: overall character or appearance to the mind : complexion, aspect

political parties of every hue

—Louis Wasserman

2

a

: color

all the hues of the rainbow

b

: gradation of color

the hues and shades of twilight

—Colin Clark

c

: the attribute of colors that permits them to be classed as red, yellow, green, blue, or an intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors

red with an orange hue

compare brightness sense 2, lightness sense 2a, saturation sense 4

Synonyms

• shade
• color
• tone
• tint

Examples of hue in a Sentence

We decorated the room in hues of blue and green.

decorated the room in hues of blue and green

Recent Examples on the Web

The deep hue is set against English White and a Ningye Purple Silken Spirit motif is hand-painted on the C-pillar Inside, there’s a starlight headliner with 1,344 fibre-optic ‘stars’ and 192 ‘shooting stars’. —Trinity Francis, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025

Available in classic hues—a cream hue and a fresh spiced olive green— these pants come in sizes 0 through 20 to ensure an elevated vibe for everyone. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 24 July 2025

Dating back to 1963, the 21st-century incarnation has 30 rooms inspired by Italy’s Amalfi Coast with coastal resort hues of sandy beige and pastel pink. —Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025

The lower half showcases mother-of-pearl marquetry in a gradient that evokes the changing hues of the seasons. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 22 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hewe, from Old English hīw; akin to Old Norse hȳ plant down, Goth hiwi form

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing hue

• hue and cry

Rhymes for hue

• blew
• blue
• boo
• brew
• chew
• chou
• clue
• coo
• coup
• crew
• cue
• dew

Kids Definition

hue

noun

ˈhyü 

1

: color sense 1

2

: a particular variety of a color : shade

3

: an aspect of colors that allows them to be identified as red, yellow, green, blue, or something between any two of these colors

Medical Definition

hue

noun

ˈhyü 

: the one of the three psychological dimensions of color perception that permits them to be classified as red, yellow, green, blue, or an intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors and that is correlated with the wavelength or the combination of wavelengths comprising the stimulus compare brightness, saturation sense 4a

Geographical Definition

Hue

geographical name

ˈ(h)wā 

hü-ˈā,

hyü-ˈā

variants or French Hué

city and port in central Vietnam; formerly capital of Annam population 302,983