as in brightly
in a manner that is colorful and tends to arouse gaiety
a colorfully illustrated children's alphabet book
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Recent Examples of colorfully
Mabe Fratti and Bill Orcutt’s collaboration didn’t begin colorfully or dramatically; Fratti just liked Orcutt and said so publicly, prompting Orcutt to reach out, which resulted in their working—remotely, mostly—on a series of pieces.
—
Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026
Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Poltz was colorfully introduced by his longtime musician friend, former San Diego Padres second baseman and third base coach Tim Flannery.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2026
The characters are colorfully dressed but also comfortably.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
Sean McGinley’s sound design ties it all together with atmospheric cues that bridge the eras as do Jamie Godwin’s colorfully gorgeous projection designs.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
More shipping containers were brought in and colorfully painted by local artists.
—Nicole MacIas Garibay, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
And the patchwork style of Brij Sadanah’s direction enhances the colorfully over-the-top story, which recasts Wuthering Heights as a sensationalistic revenge drama.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
For a good chunk of this century, however, he has become known mostly for his lush and colorfully vivid covers for Marvel.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
With their imposing bulk, elegant curves, colorfully painted sterns, and ornate decorations, the vessels were among the most distinctive and beautiful ships on the seas.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026
Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Poltz was colorfully introduced by his longtime musician friend, former San Diego Padres second baseman and third base coach Tim Flannery.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2026
The characters are colorfully dressed but also comfortably.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
Sean McGinley’s sound design ties it all together with atmospheric cues that bridge the eras as do Jamie Godwin’s colorfully gorgeous projection designs.
—Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
More shipping containers were brought in and colorfully painted by local artists.
—Nicole MacIas Garibay, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
And the patchwork style of Brij Sadanah’s direction enhances the colorfully over-the-top story, which recasts Wuthering Heights as a sensationalistic revenge drama.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026
For a good chunk of this century, however, he has become known mostly for his lush and colorfully vivid covers for Marvel.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 6 Feb. 2026
With their imposing bulk, elegant curves, colorfully painted sterns, and ornate decorations, the vessels were among the most distinctive and beautiful ships on the seas.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colorfully
brightly
Adverb
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The main drawing room on the first floor is dominated by two 1960s Italian chandeliers, and there are deep brown leather club chairs and brightly upholstered slipper chairs.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Because designers wanted the watch to glow in the dark — incredibly brightly, and for a long time.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colorfully.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colorfully. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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