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
  • As the scent dries down, blonde woods, bourbon vetiver, and musk linger on the skin.
    — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Ahead, find out more about Hollywood icon, blonde bombshell and Mariska Hargitay’s mom, Jayne Mansfield.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of blond
Adjective
  • Iron emits a golden yellow, nitrogen and oxygen glow red, sodium appears orange, and calcium looks violet.
    — Michael J. Caduto, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
  • How to Deadhead Flowers with Many Small Blooms These include coreopsis, feverfew, golden marguerites, lobelia, sweet alyssum, smaller mums, potentilla, flax, aster, blanket flower, and ageratum.
    — Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 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 9 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 anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All