Synonyms of coloring

coloring 1 of 2

noun

ˈkə-lə-riŋ 

1

as in pigment

a substance used to color other materials

added more coloring to the buttercream frosting to get the perfect shade of blue

Synonyms & Similar Words

• pigment
• dye
• color
• colorant
• stain
• hue
• dyestuff
• tint
• toner
• shade
• tinge
• cast

2

as in color

the hue or appearance of the skin and especially of the face

the pale coloring of people of Irish descent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• color
• tone
• complexion
• shade
• features
• face
• tint
• looks
• countenance
• lineaments
• visage

3

as in exaggeration

the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts

the unexciting facts were given a sensational coloring in the local news

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggeration
• caricature
• enhancement
• stretching
• embroidery
• magnification
• embellishment
• elaboration
• fabrication
• hyperbole
• embroidering
• padding
• overstatement
• misrepresentation
• amplification
• hype
• hedging
• fudging
• superlative
• puffery

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• meiosis
• understatement
• disparagement
• minimizing
• belittlement
• poor-mouthing

coloring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of color

1

as in painting

to give color or a different color to

per the couple's request, the baker used natural ingredients like beet juice and turmeric to color the icing for the wedding cake

Synonyms & Similar Words

• painting
• tinting
• staining
• dyeing
• brightening
• pigmenting
• tingeing
• darkening
• tincturing
• striping
• lightening
• bepainting
• flecking
• marbling
• streaking
• variegating
• mottling
• speckling
• toning (down)
• dappling
• patterning
• specking
• striating
• daubing
• polychroming
• embrowning
• checkering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bleaching
• decolorizing
• whitening
• blanching

2

as in exaggerating

to add to the interest of by including made-up details

he gave a highly colored version of a rather mundane experience

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggerating
• padding
• enhancing
• embroidering
• embellishing
• expanding
• stretching
• elaborating (on)
• hyperbolizing
• magnifying
• satirizing
• emphasizing
• enlarging (on or upon)
• amplifying
• stressing
• overdoing
• hedging
• overdrawing
• fleshing (out)
• overemphasizing
• caricaturing
• playing up
• fudging
• dressing up
• gussying up
• overstating
• overplaying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• minimizing
• belittling
• understating
• playing down

3

as in distorting

to change so much as to create a wrong impression or alter the meaning of

his news reporting is colored by his prejudices

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distorting
• misrepresenting
• cooking
• twisting
• slanting
• complicating
• obscuring
• falsifying
• warping
• misstating
• garbling
• perverting
• fudging
• masking
• misinterpreting
• censoring
• bending
• misrelating
• confusing
• camouflaging
• disguising
• whitewashing
• misdescribing
• mistaking
• veiling
• glossing (over)
• dissembling
• mixing (up)
• mystifying
• mistranslating
• bowdlerizing
• lying
• misspeaking
• fibbing
• belying
• prevaricating
• paltering
• equivocating
• confounding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• explaining
• interpreting
• illustrating
• clarifying
• illuminating
• clearing (up)
• spelling out
• deciphering

4

as in blushing

to develop a rosy facial color (as from excitement or embarrassment)

she colored after hearing the nasty remarks about her weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blushing
• flushing
• glowing
• reddening
• blooming
• crimsoning
• turning color
• rouging
• disconcerting
• ruddling
• incarnadining
• mortifying
• humiliating
• abashing
• embarrassing
• discomfiting
• fazing
• chagrining

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of coloring

Noun

Valverde would experiment with his images, often by scratching a thin layer of the photographs and adding muted coloring with subtle splashes of vibrant neon paint, though his pieces did not receive critical acclaim until after his death. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

The leave-in formula is an especially good match for hair compromised by bleach, frequent coloring, or a serious hot-tool habit. — Polly Blitzer, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2026

Verb

After his initial amusement, a vague concern lodged itself in his throat, coloring his words. — Hisham Matar, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026

The sniffly 5-year-old in my bed is coloring a remarkable green-blue rainbow at present. — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026