Skip to main content
canary yellow

canary yellow

1 3.6
A bright yellow color like a canary's feathers
  • noun
  • /kəˈnɛri ˈjɛloʊ/
translation icon : amarillo canario
  • So what I'm going to go in with first is the shade Access, which is like this kind of Canary yellow, mustardy, orangey sort of shade.
  • painted canary yellow
  • suit of canary yellow

Examples

  • At that same instant, a flash of canary yellow registered at the edge of my peripheral vision.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • At last, Helsse appeared, wearing a modish suit of canary yellow velvet.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • She wore an expensive linen suit of luminous canary yellow.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Thursdays were mustard; Mondays were canary yellow.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • When Marvelous Marvin Hagler stepped through the ropes in a purple suit and a canary yellow shirt, the crowd went nuts.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The bright canary yellow walls of the nursery create a cheerful atmosphere.

  • She wore a stunning dress in canary yellow that brightened her whole appearance.

  • The artist chose canary yellow to emphasize the warmth of the landscape in her painting.

Synonyms

canary
vscanary yellow
4 3.7

A pale yellow color with a slight green touch

is a more moderate yellow with the same slight greenish tinge
lemon yellow
vscanary yellow
3 2.5

A bright yellow like the outside of a lemon

is a less intense, more moderate yellow with slight green tint
greenish yellow
vscanary yellow
1 3.1

A yellow color with a little green

has only a slight greenish tinge and is more moderate in tone

How Yellow

bright yellow
12 1.0
lemon yellow
3 2.5
canary yellow
1 3.6
pale yellow
4 1.0

Surface Forms

canary yellow singular

Morphology

canary + yellow

The meaning ’a pale/moderate shade of yellow like a canary’s plumage’ is directly derived from combining the known words ‘canary’ (a yellow bird) and ‘yellow’ (a colour). This is a straightforward compositional colour-naming pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Canary yellow is named after the small bird canary, which has very bright yellow feathers that are easy to picture. That's why 'canary yellow' means a clear, bright yellow color.