chromatic

The adjective chromatic is useful for describing things related to color, like the beautiful chromatic variation of the sky at sunset.

You could describe the chromatic intensity of a fireworks display or the excellent chromatic perception of an artist, who is skilled at seeing nuances of color. In physics, the word chromatic has to do with the scientific aspects of color and light. The earliest uses of chromatic, in the 1590s, only referred to music, but by the 1800s it was used to mean "color," which is also the meaning of the Greek root, khroma.

Definitions of chromatic
  1. adjective
    being, having, or characterized by hue
    Synonyms:
    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
    of a deep somewhat purplish blue color similar to that of a clear October 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, reddisn-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
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    achromatic, neutral
    having no hue
    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
    of the blackest black; similar to the color of jet 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
    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
    show more antonyms...
  2. adjective
    able to refract light without spectral color separation
    “chromatic lens”
  3. adjective
    based on a scale consisting of 12 semitones
    “a chromatic scale”
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    diatonic
    based on the standard major or minor scales consisting of 5 tones and 2 semitones without modulation by accidentals
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Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing chromatic

Music - Middle School

Review this list and your music vocabulary will be pitch perfect. You'll learn about musical notation, genres of music, different types of instruments, and much more. Master these words and you won't miss a beat!

Music - High School

Review this list and your music vocabulary will be pitch perfect. You'll learn about musical notation, genres of music, different types of instruments, and much more. Master these words and you won't miss a beat!

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