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

Farrow & Ball’s Cooking Apple Green on the walls complements the floors, which are painted in the company’s warm Picture Gallery Red—a popular hue for subterranean floors of the home’s era. —David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 20 Nov. 2024

And now the ferocious muscle car, which is finished in the marque’s trademark orange hue and signed by team driver Lando Norris, is up for auction on eBay. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 20 Nov. 2024

For the latest premiere, Grande broke her Glinda pink streak in a custom Ralph Lauren gown in a light lemon yellow hue. —Julia Teti, WWD, 18 Nov. 2024

Watch from bed as the rising sun paints the Chisos peaks hues of pink and peach, or relax on the spacious deck or hammock as the desert transitions from golden hour to star-speckled night—a signature of the region’s enormous Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve. —Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024

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