1
: overall character or appearance to the mind : complexion, aspect
political parties of every hueLouis Wasserman
2
a
: color
all the hues of the rainbow
b
: gradation of color
the hues and shades of twilightColin Clark
c
: the attribute of colors that permits them to be classed as red, yellow, green, blue, or an intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors
red with an orange hue
compare brightness sense 2, lightness sense 2a, saturation sense 4

Examples of hue in a Sentence

We decorated the room in hues of blue and green. decorated the room in hues of blue and green
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Dipping her finger into a glittery champagne hue, Consani pats a touch of shimmer onto each lid. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2025 Forrester’s allusion to the uniform by way of its color is telling, because in most of the paintings in the show, his palette is dominated by hues in the blue-violet range of the spectrum. Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2025 McIntyre wrote in a post on X. The northern lights were also visible over the Austrian Alps, with faint red hues captured by webcams in Saint Anton am Arlberg. Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 1 Jan. 2025 Since brown hues are having a moment, this soft truffle color is a fun swap for your everyday black coat. Nicol Natale, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hue 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hewe, from Old English hīw; akin to Old Norse plant down, Goth hiwi form

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hue was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hue

Cite this Entry

“Hue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hue. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

hue

noun
1
2
: a particular variety of a color : shade
3
: an aspect of colors that allows them to be identified as red, yellow, green, blue, or something between any two of these colors

Medical Definition

hue

noun
: the one of the three psychological dimensions of color perception that permits them to be classified as red, yellow, green, blue, or an intermediate between any contiguous pair of these colors and that is correlated with the wavelength or the combination of wavelengths comprising the stimulus compare brightness, saturation sense 4a

Geographical Definition

Hue

geographical name

ˈ(h)wā How to pronounce Hue (audio)
hü-ˈā,
hyü-ˈā
variants or French Hué
city and port in central Vietnam; formerly capital of Annam population 302,983

More from Merriam-Webster on hue

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!