achromatic

/ˌˈækrəˌmædɪk/

Use the adjective achromatic to describe something that's colorless, like a dull winter sky.

When something is without a color or hue, it is achromatic. Gray urban landscapes and the black surface of a lake on a starless night could both be described as achromatic. In physics, the word achromatic is a bit more complicated, meaning "able to reflect light without it separating into colors." The Greek root word is akhrōmatikos, "colorless," combining the prefix a,"without," and khrōma, "color."

Definitions of achromatic

1. adjective

   having no hue
   synonyms: neutral

   argent, silver, silverish, silvery

   of lustrous grey; covered with or tinged with the color of silver

   ash-gray, ash-grey, ashy

   of a light grey

   blackish

   of something that is somewhat black

   black-gray, black-grey, blackish-gray, blackish-grey

   of dark grey

   blue-white, bluish-white, cool-white

   of white tinged with blue

   blue-gray, blue-grey, bluish-gray, bluish-grey

   of grey tinged with blue

   blue-black, bluish black

   of black tinged with blue

   brown-black, brownish-black

   of black tinged with brown

   brown-gray, brown-grey, brownish-gray, brownish-grey

   of grey tinged with brown

   canescent

   of greyish white

   chalky

   of something having the color of chalk

   charcoal, charcoal-gray, charcoal-grey

   of a very dark grey

   coal-black, jet, jet-black, pitchy, sooty

   black or blackish; similar in color to dust from burnt wood or coal

   cottony-white

   of something as white as cotton

   dull-white

   of a dull shade of white

   ebon, ebony

   of a very dark black

   gray, grayish, grey, greyish

   of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black

   gray-black, grayish-black, grey-black, greyish-black

   of black tinged with grey

   gray-white, grayish-white, grey-white, greyish-white

   of white tinged with grey

   greenish-gray, greenish-grey

   of grey tinged with green

   green-white, greenish-white

   of white flowers tinged with green

   hueless

   of something totally lacking in saturation and therefore having no hue

   ink-black, inky, inky-black

   of the color of black ink

   iron-gray, iron-grey

   of the grey color of iron

   lily-white

   of a pure white color

   milk-white

   of a white the color of fresh milk

   olive-gray, olive-grey

   of grey tinged with olive

   dark-gray, dark-grey, oxford-gray, oxford-grey

   of a dark shade of grey

   pearl gray, pearl grey

   of a grey with a pearly tinge

   pearly, pearly-white

   of a white the color of pearls

   pinkish-white

   of white tinged with pink

   purple-black, purplish-black

   of black tinged with purple

   purple-white, purplish-white

   of white tinged with purple

   red-gray, red-grey, reddish-gray, reddish-grey

   of grey tinged with red

   sable

   of a dark somewhat brownish black

   silver-gray, silver-grey, silvery-gray, silvery-grey

   of grey resembling silver

   silver-white, silvery-white

   of a white that resembles silver

   slate-black

   of a black tinged with slate-grey

   slate-gray, slate-grey, slatey, slaty, slaty-gray, slaty-grey, stone-gray, stone-grey

   of the color of slate or granite

   niveous, snow-white, snowy

   of the white color of snow

   soot-black, sooty-black

   of the black color of soot

   violet-black

   of black tinged with violet

   white-flowered

   (of plants) having white flowers

   off-white, whitish

   of something having a color tending toward white

   yellow-gray, yellow-grey, yellowish-gray, yellowish-grey

   of grey tinged with yellow

   yellow-white, yellowish-white

   of a white tinged with yellow

   colorless, colourless

   weak in color; not colorful

   antonyms:

   chromatic

   being, having, or characterized by hue

   amber, brownish-yellow, yellow-brown

   of a medium to dark brownish yellow color

   amber-green

   of green tinged with amber

   amethyst

   of a moderate purple color

   auburn

   (of hair) colored a moderate reddish-brown

   aureate, gilded, gilt, gold, golden

   having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

   avocado

   of the dull yellowish green of the meat of an avocado

   azure, bright blue, cerulean, sky blue, sky-blue

   bright blue in color, like a clear sky

   beige

   of a light greyish-brown color

   blackish-brown

   of brown tinged with black

   blackish-red

   of red tinged with black

   blae

   of bluish-black or grey-blue

   blue, blueish, bluish

   of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

   blue-green, bluish green, cyan, teal

   of a bluish shade of green

   blue-lilac, bluish-lilac

   of lavender tinged with blue

   blue-purple, bluish-purple

   of purple tinged with blue

   blue-violet, bluish-violet

   of violet tinted with blue

   blushful, rosy

   of blush color

   bottle-green

   of a dark to moderate greyish green color

   bright-red, raspberry-red

   of the red of fresh raspberries

   bronze, bronzy

   of the color of bronze

   bronze-red

   of red tinged with bronze

   brown, brownish, chocolate-brown, dark-brown

   of a color similar to that of wood or earth

   brown-green, brownish-green

   of green tinged with brown

   brown-purple, brownish-purple

   of dark purple tinted with brown

   buff

   of the yellowish-beige color of buff leather

   buff-brown

   of brown tinged with buff

   canary, canary-yellow

   having the color of a canary; of a light to moderate yellow

   caramel, caramel brown

   having the color of caramel; of a moderate yellow-brown

   carnation

   pink or pinkish

   chartreuse

   of something having the yellowish green color of Chartreuse liqueur

   chestnut

   (of hair or feathers) of a golden brown to reddish brown color

   chestnut-brown

   (of hair or feathers) of brown tinged with chestnut

   copper colored, coppery

   of something having the color of copper

   coral

   of a strong pink to yellowish-pink color

   coral-red

   of red tinged with coral

   creamy

   of the color of cream

   creamy-yellow

   yellow with a creamy tinge

   cress green, cresson, watercress

   of a moderate yellow-green color that is greener and deeper than moss green and yellower and darker than pea green

   crimson-magenta

   magenta tinged with crimson

   crimson-purple

   purple tinged with crimson

   crimson-yellow

   yellow tinged with crimson

   dark-blue

   of a dark shade of blue

   deep-pink

   of a deep shade of pink

   deep-yellow

   of something having the color of a pumpkin

   dull-purple

   of a dull shade of purple

   dun

   of a dull greyish brown to brownish grey color

   earthlike

   earth colored; of something having a color of soil or earth

   fuscous, taupe

   of something having a dusky brownish grey color

   golden-yellow

   of yellow tinged with gold

   golden-brown

   of brown tinged with gold

   golden-green

   of green tinged with gold

   gray-blue, grayish-blue, grey-blue, greyish-blue

   of blue tinged with grey

   gray-brown, grayish-brown, grey-brown, greyish-brown

   of brown tinged with grey

   gray-green, grayish-green, grey-green, greyish-green

   of green tinged with grey

   gray-pink, grayish-pink, grey-pink, greyish-pink

   of pink tinged with grey

   dark-green, green, greenish, light-green

   of the color between blue and yellow in the color spectrum; similar to the color of fresh grass

   greenish-brown

   of brown tinged with green

   hazel

   of a light brown or yellowish brown color

   hazel-brown

   of brown tinged with hazel

   honey

   of something having the color of honey

   jade, jade-green

   of something having the color of jade; especially varying from bluish green to yellowish green

   khaki

   of a yellowish brown color

   lavender, lilac, lilac-colored

   of a pale purple color

   lavender-tinged

   of something tinged with lavender

   light-blue, pale blue

   of a light shade of blue

   lilac-blue, violet-blue

   of blue tinged with lavender

   lavender-pink, lilac-pink, violet-pink

   of pink tinged with lavender

   lilac-purple

   of purple tinged with lilac

   magenta

   of deep purplish red

   magenta pink

   of pink tinged with magenta

   brownish-red, maroon

   of dark brownish to purplish red

   maroon-purple

   of purple tinged with maroon

   mauve

   of a pale to moderate greyish violet color

   mauve-blue

   of blue tinged with mauve

   mauve-pink

   of pink tinged with mauve

   moss green, mosstone

   of a moderate somewhat dull yellow-green color

   mouse-colored, mouselike, mousey, mousy

   of something having a drab pale brown color resembling a mouse

   ocher, ochre

   of a moderate orange-yellow color

   olive-brown

   of a brown color with a greenish tinge

   drab, olive-drab

   of a light brownish green color

   olive

   of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive

   orange, orangish

   of the color between red and yellow; similar to the color of a ripe orange

   orange-red, orangish-red

   of red tinged with orange

   orange-brown

   of brown tinged with orange

   peachy, peachy-colored, peachy-coloured

   of something resembling a peach in color

   peacock-blue

   of bright greenish blue

   pea-green

   of a moderate slightly yellowish-green color

   pink, pinkish

   of a light shade of red

   pink-lavender, pinkish-lavender

   of lavender tinged with pink

   pink-orange, pinkish-orange, salmon

   of orange tinged with pink

   pink-red

   of red tinged with pink

   pink-tinged

   of a color tinged with pink

   pink-purple, pinkish-purple

   of purple tinged with pink

   powder blue, powdery-blue

   of a moderate to pale blue or purplish blue

   purple, purplish, violet

   of a color intermediate between red and blue

   purple-blue, purplish-blue

   of blue tinged with purple

   purple-brown, purplish-brown

   of brown tinged with purple

   purple-green, purplish-green

   of green tinged with purple

   purple-lilac, purplish-lilac

   of lavender tinged with purple

   purple-red, purplish-red

   of red tinged with purple

   purple-tinged, purple-tinted

   of a color tinged with purple

   blood-red, carmine, cerise, cherry, cherry-red, crimson, red, reddish, ruby, ruby-red, ruddy, scarlet

   of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies

   mahogany-red, red-brown, reddish-brown

   of brown tinged with red

   red-lavender, reddish-lavender

   of something having a lavender color tinged with red

   reddish-pink

   of a pink color that is close to red

   flame-orange, red-orange, reddish-orange

   of orange tinged with red

   red-purple

   of purple tinged with red

   red-violet, reddish-violet

   of violet tinged with red

   rosaceous, rose, roseate

   of something having a dusty purplish pink color

   rose-red

   of a deep slightly bluish red color

   rose-lavender, rose-lilac

   of lavender tinged with rose

   rose-mauve

   of mauve tinged with rose

   rose-purple, rosy-purple

   of purple with a rose tinge

   rose-tinged, rose-tinted

   of a color tinged with rose

   russet

   of brown with a reddish tinge

   rust, rust-brown, rusty

   of the brown color of rust

   rust-red, rusty-red

   of a red color tinged with rust

   rusty-brown

   of something having the brown color of rust

   sage, sage-green

   of the grey-green color of sage leaves

   sapphire

   of something having the color of a blue sapphire

   scarlet-crimson

   of crimson tinged with scarlet

   scarlet-pink

   of pink tinged with scarlet

   sea-green

   of the color of the sea; bluish green

   silver-blue, silvery-blue

   of something having a color that is a light shiny blue

   silver-green, silvery-green

   of something having a color that is a light shiny green

   chukker-brown, mummy-brown, snuff, snuff-brown

   snuff colored; of a greyish to yellowish brown

   brownish-orange, sorrel

   of a light brownish color

   stone

   of any of various dull tannish or grey colors

   straw

   of a pale yellow color like straw; straw-colored

   sulfur-yellow, sulphur-yellow

   of something having the yellow color of sulfur

   tan

   of a light yellowish-brown color

   tannish

   of a color resembling tan

   tangerine

   of a strong reddish orange color

   tawny, tawny-brown

   of a light brown to brownish orange color; the color of tanned leather

   ultramarine

   of a brilliant pure blue to purplish blue color

   umber

   of the color of any of various natural brown earth pigments

   Chinese-red, cinnabar, vermilion, vermillion

   of a vivid red to reddish-orange color

   vinaceous

   of the color of wine

   violet-tinged, violet-tinted

   of something that is tinged with violet

   white-pink

   of pink tinged with white; a light tint of pink

   wine-red

   of something having the dark red color of red wine

   xanthous, yellow, yellowish

   of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

   yellow-beige, yellowish-beige

   of beige tinged with yellow;

   yellow-green

   of a color midway between yellow and green

   yellow-orange, yellowish-orange

   of orange tinged with yellow

   yellow-tinged

   of a color tinged with yellow

   colored, colorful, coloured

   having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination