dye 1 of 2

noun

ˈdī How to pronounce dye (audio)
Definition of dyenext
as in pigment
a substance used to color other materials soaked the fabric in blue dye

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

dye

2 of 2

verb

as in to paint
to give color or a different color to dyed her hair a startling red

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dye
Noun
Harsh sulfates are what fade a fresh dye job between salon visits. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026 Korean box dyes, candies and hangover cures enshrine the cash register. — Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
When my mom was younger, the studio dyed her hair blonde, and my daughter is blonde. — Gustavo Egusquiza, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026 After Care After dyeing your hair with a box hair dye, Zeitoun recommends not washing it for three days to add longevity to the color. — Omenaa Boakye, InStyle, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dye
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dye
  1. pigment
  2. paint
  3. coloring
  4. stain
  5. color
  6. tint
  7. colorant
Noun
  • Its Gallery 3 technology uses colored pigments that move to form the image.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Allure notes that clients can get their freckle tattoos touched up as the pigment fades.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of pigment
Verb
  • Satanic Planet are not likely to inspire teenagers to paint pentagrams on their attic floors.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Much of the walls are painted in a calming hunter green, decorated with landscape paintings and vintage art featuring families.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of paint
Noun
  • Add 1 to 2 drops of red food coloring to the bowl of candy melts and mix well to incorporate.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • With that in mind, Haug suggests requesting balayage, a freehand hair-coloring technique that lightens strands without using foils, and looks a little more natural compared to traditional highlights.
    — Jacqueline Kilikita, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of coloring
Verb
  • The armpits of the Quran shirt are stained with centuries-old sweat.
    — Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In 2005, a vote-buying scheme known as Mensalão led to the conviction of senior PT figures and stained the party’s image.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Noun
  • Drawing upon classic English country house motifs, her own family memories, and the blazing colors of New England fall, the star designer has conjured a series of instant heirlooms.
    — Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Friends, family and community members dressed in light blue — Noel’s favorite color — gathered Saturday in Everman for a public vigil honoring 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of color
Verb
  • The traditional vanilla creme filling turns a bright orange, tinted with annatto rather than artificial dye, and the crunchy cocoa cookies are carved to look like little jack-o’-lanterns.
    — Danielle Bouchard, Martha Stewart, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Fel Beauty launched in January with its original Kissylips tinted balms.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of tint
Noun
  • Food-grade natural colorant obtained from the petals of the butterfly pea flower was approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration in 2021.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Updates across the lists include new restrictions on flame retardants and colorants, new or tightened limits on some chemicals and metals, and new substance limits for jewelry.
    — Cleo Levin, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of colorant

Browse Nearby Words

dyarchy
dye
dyed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dye.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dye. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dye

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dye

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wraith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All