Main meanings of hue in English

hue¹

Pronunciation /hjuː/

Translate hue into Spanish

noun

1A colour or shade.
‘the water is the deepest hue of aquamarine’
- ‘verdigris is greenish-yellow in hue’
- ‘Color experts discuss the appeal of color and different meanings behind hues, tones and shades.’
- ‘By the way, you will find all hues and shades at the fair, except for two colours - blue and black; because roses don't possess the genes for those particular colours.’
- ‘The colour theme is predominantly shades of warm hues.’
- ‘Shards of luminous marine life, every shade and combination of hues, deep blue starfish and the mystically-shaped coral itself provided a living, mobile tableau in the emerald green waters.’
- ‘The exhibition comprises hand-fans of different shades and hues and sizes and shapes from the painter's personal collection over a long period of more than four decades.’
- ‘The romanticism of gazing at the famous rock, differing shades and hues drifting across it as the sun rises and sets, rapidly diminishes, leaving you feeling numb from the shock.’
- ‘Decorative and painted glasses with intricate designs of varying shades and hues are another attraction at the fair.’
- ‘Next came the first coloured nail polish - in a rose shade - with deeper hues to follow by 1930.’
- ‘Instead of orange, pink, and aqua hues, there were shades of turquoise and emerald, December blue, and indigo.’
- ‘The sun begins to set in the sprawling valley and Cassie watches the orange hue cast its shade upon the hills.’
- ‘The candlelight cast a golden hue onto her fiery-red hair, and Rhea wondered off-handedly if Jali had ever considered dyeing it.’
- ‘Each one was simple or complex, and each had its own hue, and shade.’
- ‘While we slowly drifted, the sea first reflected patches of pinkish purple then took on a golden hue, and the calm waters rippled from diving ducks and a lone humpback whale.’
- ‘If you're trying to adapt the season's shades or find the hues that work best for you, try these ‘tricks.’’
- ‘The temptation to go overboard has been resisted - colour is used selectively and judiciously in a combination of alluring bold shades and sultry rich hues.’
- ‘Holding up singles and pairs of socks in various shades and hues, she rummaged - apparently searching for an appropriate pair.’
- ‘Many dark-eye phenotypes are not clear cut and often appear to represent a continuum of shades and hues of reddish brown.’
- ‘They, too, were bedecked in shades and hues that I had never seen in silks, satins, and lace before!’
- ‘The room was alive with color, so many hues and shades changing and spinning so rapidly that it made Dianne dizzy.’
- ‘If you're a realist, you might have to combine those two styles into a unique mixture of those shades and hues.’
colour, tone, shade, tint, tinge, cast, tincture
View synonyms
1. 1.1The attribute of a colour by virtue of which it is discernible as red, green, etc., and which is dependent on its dominant wavelength and independent of intensity or lightness.
  ‘We quantified color using three standard descriptors of reflectance spectra: hue, chroma, and intensity of each individual.’
  ‘We drew the image in shades of red by running the color scale across intensities of the red hue, instead of across hues as in the previous example.’
  ‘Fruit color assessed both the hue and intensity of overall fruit color for both purple and green fruits.’
  ‘He'd never seen eyes like that before, of such a strange hue and intensity.’
  ‘In the international pearl market, the demand is for large sized coloured pearls of black, silvery green and green to deep purple hues.’
  ‘We often take color for granted, not bothering to notice the subtle hues, tones and intensities that surround us.’
  ‘A degreed landscape designer, Daphne used great restraint in creating her garden, which relies heavily on plant forms, textures and hues of green foliage.’
  ‘A personal favorite, chromatic colors use different shades and hues of 1 color for your entire design - nothing else except black and white.’
  ‘Thus, the distinction in appearance among these three color studies is due entirely to the compositional aspects of hue.’
2. 1.2Character or aspect.
  ‘men of all political hues submerged their feuds’
  ‘After all, it is a way of establishing a working relationship with people of all hues by the political parties.’
  ‘It is interesting to note how the political leaders of different hues appear either ‘wielding’ an ice-cream cone or pushing an ice-cream cart.’
  ‘There was a steady flow of political leaders of all hues and television cameramen were vying with one another to get the best visuals of the injured leaders and the response of the visitors.’
  ‘Funny how those positions look familiar - you could again find them in today's papers, matched to their varying political hues.’
  ‘Taxpaying voters, well used to being taxed to the hilt by politicians of all political hues, are right to be so sceptical about the show being put on in front of them.’
  ‘MPs of all political hues have spoken in favour of the memorial.’
  ‘The book presents challenges for activists of many different political hues.’
  ‘The leaders of political parties of all hues shared the dais and hatchets seemed to be buried for the time being.’
  ‘Sources in the ministry say any decision on this matter could acquire a political hue, so it is better to defer the decision till the elections are over.’
  ‘As if this were not enough, the project now has acquired a political hue.’
  ‘The hysteria familiar to us from our high-school history books and Arthur Miller's Crucible gets its due, in the usual sinister hues.’
  ‘Some of the dissent has taken on a sinister hue, leading to fears that his death could unleash a new wave of anti-abortion violence.’
  ‘She saves this film from slipping to unbearable tedium, investing every frame with the right hues, the right nuances, in her portrayal of a lawyer helping Devgan win the custody of the child!’
  ‘If you are a Scottish Enterprise customer, whatever your hue she will respond personally to your e-mail.’
  ‘As many as 22 artists from the State are participating in the show which is an exposition of talent of all hues and shades.’
  ‘He was a gutsy player of immense potential, and it was only a matter of time before he became a nightmare for the bowlers of all shades and hues.’
  ‘I suspect that I am not alone in having the feeling of being taken for granted by politicians at all levels and of all shades and hues.’
  ‘Give your new voice a distinctive quality exploring its colours, hues and tones.’
  ‘Ryan and the Bavarian orchestra produce an infinite variety of shades and hues, and this is important, because timbre is everything in Feldman's music.’
  ‘The third and fourth movements last exactly ten minutes each and again, Graffin is a masterly exponent of the romantic shades and hues that Bréville creates.’
  complexion, type, kind, sort, cast, light, stamp, nuance, aspect, character, nature
  View synonyms

Origin

Old English hīw, hēow (also ‘form, appearance’, obsolete except in Scots), of Germanic origin; related to Swedish hy ‘skin, complexion’. The sense ‘colour, shade’ dates from the mid 19th century.