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

Fog has an eerie and enchanting way of coloring how humans perceive our surroundings—and scientists are discovering that the atmospheric phenomenon may remake microbes’ experience of their environment, too. — Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

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