tawny

adjective

ˈtȯ-nē How to pronounce tawny (audio)
Definition of tawnynext
as in blond
of a pale yellow or yellowish brown color the tawny coat of a lion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 tawny Rain streamed from their whiskers and soaked their tawny coats. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 The pale tortilla was dappled with shades of brown, toasty and tawny—simplicity, done superlatively. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026 Among the art conservatives found objectionable was artist Andres Serrano’s photograph titled Piss Christ featuring a plastic crucifix in a tawny liquid the artist described as his own urine. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026 Choose Harmonious Colors Gravel comes in a range of colors, including tawny browns and cool grays. — Elizabeth Jardina, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tawny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tawny
  1. blond
  2. golden
Adjective
  • Two of the men, beef-fed and blond, chugged beers on their knees on the other side of the workstation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Sula, a blond woman in her early forties, ran a doula service called Peacing Out.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of blond
Adjective
  • White Water's diminutive cocktail bar has awesome bottled cocktails served in proper glassware that make for the perfect sundowner to carry across the boardwalk to soak up golden hour over the Pacific.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Cook approximately 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown, crispy outside, and cooked through.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of golden

Browse Nearby Words

tawdry
tawny
tawpie
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tawny. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on tawny

Nglish: Translation of tawny for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All