1
: overall character or appearance to the mind : complexion, aspect
political parties of every hue—Louis Wasserman
2
a
: color
all the hues of the rainbow
b
: gradation of color
the hues and shades of twilight—Colin 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
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
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English hewe, from Old English hīw; akin to Old Norse hȳ 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
Phrases Containing hue
Articles Related to hue
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
noun1
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
More from Merriam-Webster on hue
Nglish: Translation of hue for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of hue for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hue
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