colorful

[ kuhl-er-fuhl ]

adjective

1. abounding in color:

   In their tartans, the Scots guard made a colorful array.

2. richly eventful or picturesque:

   a colorful historical period.

3. presenting or suggesting vivid or striking scenes:

   a colorful narrative.

   Synonyms: dynamic, spirited, vigorous

Other Words From

• color·ful·ly adverb
• color·ful·ness noun
• un·color·ful adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of colorful¹

First recorded in 1885–90; color + -ful

Example Sentences

The colorful horse toys with brushable manes and tails were first created in the '80s and had a revival in 2003.

From Salon

“Kaleidoscope” is a far preferable and more colorful description of Aitken’s ambition here, which takes stunning, impressionistic and often dreamlike images of ordinary people moving through extraordinary California landscapes, and stirs them into seemingly improvised songs as well as familiar minimalist masterpieces by composers like Glass, Steve Reich and Terry Riley.

From Los Angeles Times

Into this all-too-real context Netflix plunks the second season of “Arcane,” the vividly colorful and fast-moving adult animated steampunk adventure series based on Riot’s “League of Legends” video games.

From Salon

But video of the production with the colorful Grazinyte-Tyla can be streamed via stage-plus.com and, as can “The Gambler,” on medici.tv.

From Los Angeles Times

As the clock ticks closer to the 8 p.m. curtain time, the lobby more clearly resembles a house party — a chatty, mingling crowd, flashing colorful lights and flowing red wine.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bright
• flashy
• gaudy
• hued
• multicolored
• rich
• splashy
• vibrant
• vivid