baby blue

noun

1
: a pale blue
2
baby blues plural : blue eyes
She's a zaftig woman, with long red hair and a pale rose complexion setting off those baby blues.Michele Kort
3
baby blues plural in form but singular or plural in construction : a feeling of sadness that is experienced by a woman shortly after giving birth, that is typically accompanied by other symptoms (such as mood swings, crying spells, and insomnia), and that usually lasts less than two weeks : postpartum blues
Baby blues isn't an illness or even a proper psychiatric diagnosis, it is simply a way that people have tried to describe unpleasant feelings that occur shortly after having a baby and tend to resolve in a few days.Jackie Ganley
usually used with the
a case of the baby blues
compare postpartum depression

Examples of baby blue in a Sentence

She gazed into his baby blues. She had a bad case of the baby blues.
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.
Yet that edict leaves ultra-pale pastels like baby blue, cotton candy pink, and butter yellow in a sartorial No Man’s Land. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025 Red, yellow, baby blue, fluorescent green, magenta, gray: The quartet’s look mirrored the aural character of the music’s tones. Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025 The Great British Baking Show host, 59, answered a few commonly asked questions about himself in a video on the baking show’s Instagram page – including one about his infamous baby blue eyes. Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025 Kith Women Unveils Spring Active 2025 Collection Kith Women’s Spring Active 2025 showcases movement-ready silhouettes, including tops, bottoms, sets, and accessories in seasonal shades of black, brown, gray, and baby blue. Mecca Pryor, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for baby blue

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of baby blue was in 1859

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Cite this Entry

“Baby blue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baby%20blue. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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