to gradate
- verb
- /ˈɡreɪdeɪt/
- The colors in this tapestry gradate from deep blue to pale pink.
Examples
-
The artist chose to gradate the colors in her painting.
-
When mixing watercolors, the hues gradate softly across the paper.
-
Sunset skies often gradate from gold to violet in a beautiful display.
-
He gradated the shades from light to dark.
-
The artist used various colors to gradate the sunset from orange to deep purple.
-
The designer chose to gradate the fabric's colors for a smooth transition in her dress.
-
In painting, it's crucial to gradate the tones carefully to create depth and realism.
Synonyms
To change something a little to make it less strong
How Gradual
Surface Forms
Morphology
gradate = grade (transparent) = grad + ate
The verb is readily interpretable as derived from the notion of 'grade' (level/degree) plus the verb-forming suffix '-ate'.
Etymology
Gradate comes from the Latin gradus, which means 'step', and is the same root as grade and graduate. Think of a staircase: to gradate colors is to change by small 'steps' from one shade to another, so the change is slow and smooth.