yellow

1 of 3

adjective

yel·​low ˈye-(ˌ)lō 

 dialectal  ˈye-lər,

 or  ˈya-

1

a

: of the color yellow

b

: become yellowish through age, disease, or discoloration : sallow

c

sometimes offensive : having a light olive or light brown complexion

2

a

: featuring sensational or scandalous items or ordinary news sensationally distorted

yellow journalism

b

: mean, cowardly

yellowish

ˈye-lə-wish 

adjective

yellow

2 of 3

noun

plural yellows

1

: something yellow or marked by a yellow color: such as

a

sometimes offensive : a person having light olive or light brown skin

b

: the yolk of an egg

2

a

: a color whose hue resembles that of ripe lemons or sunflowers or is that of the portion of the spectrum lying between green and orange

b

: a pigment or dye that colors yellow

3

yellows plural : jaundice

4

yellows plural in form but singular in construction : any of several plant diseases caused especially by phytoplasmas and marked by yellowing of the foliage and stunting

yellow

3 of 3

verb

yellowed; yellowing; yellows

intransitive verb

: to become or turn yellow

transitive verb

: to make yellow : give a yellow tinge or color to

yellowed by time

Synonyms

Adjective

• chicken
• chicken-livered
• chickenhearted
• cowardly
• craven
• dastardly
• gutless
• lily-livered
• milk-livered [archaic]
• poltroon
• pusillanimous
• recreant
• spineless
• unheroic

Examples of yellow in a Sentence

Adjective

He was too yellow to stand up and fight.

you'll come with us into the cave, unless you're yellow

Noun

The bridesmaids were dressed in yellow.

a room decorated in yellows and greens

Verb

The paper had yellowed with age.

The leaves were yellowed by disease.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The look features bright coral eyeshadow covering the eyelid, a fuchsia shade in the crease, and a swipe of fluorescent yellow eyeliner on the outside half of the eye and right under the brow. —Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, 20 July 2017

In addition to selling yellow mustard and hot sauce, the division makes ketchup, onion flavorings and other products. —Nick Turner, Bloomberg.com, 19 July 2017

Noun

Living Room Suites use bold combinations of deep yellow and navy blue. —Gabe Hartwig, chicagotribune.com, 9 June 2017

There isn’t even a cross walk or a speed bump or a caution sign or a flashing yellow; there is nothing but blacktop for miles. —Neil Senturia, sandiegouniontribune.com, 5 June 2017

Verb

Cool weather causes cold sensitive foliage plants to yellow; move them indoors. 58. —Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 30 Nov. 2024

Camellias do not tolerate alkaline soils, which can lead to yellowing foliage. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English yelwe, yelow, from Old English geolu; akin to Old High German gelo yellow, Latin helvus light bay, Greek chlōros greenish yellow, Sanskrit hari yellowish

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Verb

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

Phrases Containing yellow

• canary yellow
• chrome yellow
• high yellow
• lemon yellow
• primrose yellow
• straw yellow
• sulphur yellow
• yellow-bellied
• yellow bile
• yellow birch
• yellow card
• yellow-dog
• yellow-dog contract
• yellow dwarf
• yellow fever
• yellow-fever mosquito
• yellow-green alga
• yellow jack
• yellow jacket
• yellow jessamine
• yellow legged hornet
• yellow ocher
• yellow pages
• yellow perch
• yellow peril
• yellow pine
• yellow poplar
• yellow rain
• yellow-shafted flicker
• yellow spot

Kids Definition

yellow

1 of 2 adjective

yel·​low ˈyel-ō 

1

a

: of the color yellow

b

: yellowish from age, disease, or discoloring

2

: cowardly sense 1

yellow verb

yellowness noun

yellow

2 of 2 noun

1

: a color like that of ripe lemons

2

: something yellow or yellowish