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brown

brown

69 1.0
A medium to dark color like wood or earth
  • noun
  • /braʊn/
: marrón
  • His hair was thick and such a glassy brown that it might have been dyed.
  • dark browns
  • light brown
  • browns and greens

I hope this is the brown I should use.

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Examples

  • Raising her eyes from the ledger, she asked me, "Light brown is in fashion?"

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It's such a nice brown for this kind of look.

  • It's that golden brown really makes blue eyes pop.

  • Oh, this is like a rich brown look at that gorgeous.

  • I've been using the brown one a lot lately.

  • A few minutes outdoors, and we could feel the light brown of our skin bake darker.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The color was good for her; it enlivened the dishwater brown of her hair.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • They dunk it in beautiful brown pork gravy.

  • The house is painted a warm, inviting brown that complements the surrounding landscape.

  • She selected a brown sweater to match her earth-toned outfit.

Synonyms

light brown
vsbrown
23 1.0

A pale brown color like dry sand in sunlight

is the standard mixed color rather than a lighter tint
tan
vsbrown
11 1.0

A light brown colour like leather

is the general mixed color rather than this pale, skinlike tone
reddish brown
vsbrown
5 2.5

A brown color with a slight red tint

is the plain mixed color without a strong red tint
deep brown
vsbrown
4 1.0

A dark shade of brown like chocolate

is the general mixed color without stressing a very dark tone
mahogany
vsbrown
2 4.4

A deep reddish-brown color like wood from a tropical tree

is the broader mixed color rather than this specific wood hue
warm brown
vsbrown
1 1.7

A brown colour with red or yellow tones that looks cosy

is the neutral mixed color without emphasizing warm undertones
yellowish brown
vsbrown
1 2.8

A medium to dark brown with a little yellow in it

is the neutral mixed color rather than this yellowish tint
grayish brown
vsbrown
  • US
1 2.7

A light dull brown that looks slightly gray

is the vivid mixed color rather than this greyer, duller shade
caramel brown
vsbrown
2.6

A medium to dark brown color like caramel

is the basic mixed color rather than this sweet, glossy shade

Idioms

To make someone suddenly need to go to the toilet after eating

Compounds

37 1.0

Sugar that keeps some brown syrup, making it brown and a little sticky

29 1.0

A deep brown color like wood or earth

23 1.0

A pale brown color like dry sand in sunlight

18 3.2

A warm brown color that has a golden shine

15 1.2

A type of rice with its brown outer layer left on and a nuttier, chewier taste and more fiber

9 1.9

A large, powerful wild animal with brown fur that lives in forests in Asia and North America

A brown color with a hint of red

5 2.4

A simple paper bag used to carry a packed lunch

A brown color with a slight red tint

5 1.0

Having brown hair

4 1.0

A dark shade of brown like chocolate

3 1.0

A type of bread made from whole wheat flour that is darker and denser than white bread

A deep brown color like chocolate

2 2.5

A dark savory sauce made from soy sauce used in Chinese and other Asian cooking

brown noser
  • Offensive
2 8.5

A person who praises people in charge to get things they want

2 3.4

A freshwater fish with brown color and dark spots that lives in rivers

brown-noser
  • Offensive
2 8.3

A person who praises someone in charge too much to gain favor

code brown
  • Jargon
2 7.9

An alert telling staff to respond to a dangerous spill or escaped animal

2 4.8

A small bat that eats insects and lives in caves, trees and buildings worldwide

1 1.0

A brown color with a touch of red

1 2.0

A brown color mixed with gray

A brown color with a little red that often appears in hair or feathers

1 1.7

A brown colour with red or yellow tones that looks cosy

A medium to dark brown with a little yellow in it

1 7.7

A baked dessert of apples and bread crumbs, often sweet and spiced

1 2.0

A brownish yellow color like dry autumn leaves

1 3.2

A very dark brown color with a hint of black

Marked with brown lines

A brown color with a little green like a frog's skin

A medium yellow-brown color like caramel

brown thumb
  • Informal
1 7.9

A person who cannot grow plants successfully

brown algae
  • Specialized
1 4.8

Large sea algae, like kelp, that look brown or olive

1 3.4

A brown color that has some grey in it

1 2.7

A brown color with a touch of orange

1 2.9

Melted butter cooked until it turns brown and tastes nutty

1 5.3

A large brown songbird from the eastern United States that sings and copies other birds

1 3.2

A brown colour with a little green, often in eyes or hair

1 5.8

A soft brown material people burn to make heat or electricity

1 4.2

A brown color with a small touch of green like olives

1 2.9

A brown color that looks slightly purple

1 4.2

A light brown color like tanned leather

1 2.7

A grey color with a little brown in it

Father Brown
  • Literature
1 7.4

A Catholic priest who solves crimes in Chesterton's stories

big brown bat
  • Specialized
1 7.1

A large brown bat in North America that eats insects at night

Brown Swiss
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A large brown cow kept for milk that is strong, calm and lives well in different climates

1 2.8

A brown color with a red tint like old metal left outside

1 2.7

A light dull brown that looks slightly gray

1 2.1

A common rat that lives near people and damages food and buildings

1 8.3

A movement for rights and cultural pride for Hispanic, Latino, and South Asian people

1 2.7

A small garden snail with a brown shell and pale zigzag lines that eats plants

Having small brown spots often seen on eggs or feathers

1 3.7

A green color with a little brown mixed in

A brown color with a touch of purple

1 7.3

A large brown bird that sings in eastern North America with a long tail and streaked chest

1 2.5

A brown color with a red-orange tone

1 6.0

A small brown flying animal common in North America that sleeps in houses and forests

1 3.0

A brown color with a greenish tinge like green olives

A very large brown bear that lives on the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia

brown study
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A state of being deeply lost in thought

Dark brown with a little black

brown rot
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A disease caused by a fungus that makes fruit like peaches and plums turn brown and decay

1 3.9

A dark purple color mixed with brown

brown creeper
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A small North American songbird with a curved beak that climbs tree trunks to find insects

1 3.5

A savory dark sauce made from beef stock thickened with butter and flour and served with roast meat

brown hyena
  • South African
1 7.4

A shaggy brown African hyena that eats dead animals at night

1 8.6

A common grass with thin stems and narrow leaves that grows in wet meadows

brown bullhead
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A small freshwater catfish with whisker-like feelers and brownish skin found in the eastern United States

1 4.6

A light brown color with a little yellow

A small common North American bat that lives across the continent

A dark steamed bread made from cornmeal and molasses, often served warm

A small brown insect with thin wings whose larvae eat aphids

Vandyke brown
  • Specialized
1 8.7

A dark reddish brown color used in painting and art

brown cup
  • Specialized
9.9

A small brown mushroom that looks like a cup and grows on dead wood in damp places

How Brown

dark-brown
29 1.0
brown
69 1.0
light brown
23 1.0
pale-colored
4 2.3

Surface Forms

brown singular
browns plural

Etymology

Brown for the color comes from the old word brun, meaning 'brown' or 'dark', and is the same root as German braun. That's why brown names the warm, wood‑ or earth‑like color we see in nature and in paint.