coloring

noun

col·​or·​ing ˈkə-lə-riŋ 

1

a

: the act of applying colors

b

: something that produces color or color effects

c(1)

: the effect produced by applying or combining colors

(2)

: natural color

(3)

: complexion, coloration

d

: change of appearance (as by adding color)

2

: influence, bias

3

: color sense 8

4

: timbre, quality

Synonyms

• color
• colorant
• dye
• dyestuff
• pigment
• stain

Examples of coloring in a Sentence

Her favorite activities include playing with stuffed animals and coloring.

Our product contains no artificial coloring or flavoring.

She added some blue food coloring to the icing.

This scarf will look great with your coloring.

He has very light coloring.

Recent Examples on the Web

Morton similarly suggests getting creative with an art therapy kit or coloring book. —Anna Haines, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Boil down the water with sugar, pectin, and food coloring, according to your favorite jelly recipe. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 May 2025

One, the ability to add blue food coloring to milk, was possible even at the time the first film came out. —Daniel B. Oerther, The Conversation, 1 May 2025

At the time of writing, the video has been watched over 660,000 times with viewers taking to the comments section accompanying the video to offer their own theories as to how Tutti ended up with his unusual fur coloring. —Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing coloring

• coloring book

Kids Definition

coloring

noun

col·​or·​ing ˈkəl-(ə-)riŋ 

1

: the act of applying colors

2

: something that produces color

food coloring

3

: the effect produced by applying or combining colors

4

: complexion sense 1, coloration

5

: change of appearance (as by adding color)