1
: overall character or appearance to the mind : complexion, aspect
political parties of every hueLouis Wasserman
2
a
: color
all the hues of the rainbow
b
: gradation of color
the hues and shades of twilightColin 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

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
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.
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 See all Example Sentences for hue 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hewe, from Old English hīw; akin to Old Norse plant down, Goth hiwi form

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hue was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hue

Cite this Entry

“Hue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hue. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hue

noun
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
: 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 How to pronounce Hue (audio)
hü-ˈā,
hyü-ˈā
variants or French Hué
city and port in central Vietnam; formerly capital of Annam population 302,983

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