hue

noun

ˈhyü 

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

Synonyms

• cast
• color
• shade
• tincture
• tinge
• tint
• tone

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

However, the varying hues along the spectrum of solitude stretch from intense (alone in a cabin in the woods, lacking even your phone) to being alone but having some kind of engagement with others (spending a solitary afternoon watching cooking videos or reading blog posts). —Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 25 Jan. 2025

In this corner of the world, traditional attires are inherently bright, but the filmmakers boost their impact by conceiving the images to look unassumingly radiant in the way hues mingle in the frame. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 25 Jan. 2025

Her makeup featured bold brows, a smokey eye and a touch of a deep berry hue, adding a pop of color to her lip. —Julia Teti, WWD, 24 Jan. 2025

This mini bouquet comes in three different box colors and nine different rose hues, including classic red (pictured here). —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 24 Jan. 2025

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

Phrases Containing hue

• hue and cry

Kids Definition

hue

noun

ˈhyü 

1

: color sense 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

ˈhyü 

: 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 

hü-ˈā,

hyü-ˈā

variants or French Hué

city and port in central Vietnam; formerly capital of Annam population 302,983