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colorful character

colorful character

4 4.8
A person who is interesting and unusual in a lively way
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌlərfəl ˈkɛrɪktər/
  • US
translation icon : personaje colorido
  • WILKINS : Well, he was certainly a very colorful character on the world stage, Miranda.
  • the most colorful characters
  • met colorful characters
  • more colorful characters

And he was, he was a larger than life, colourful character.

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Examples

  • Jonas tells the story well, aided by the presence of colorful characters, such as Menelik's fiery wife, Empress Taytu, and the Italian officers whose bumbling ensured their own defeat.

    Blog text (1)
  • "This colorful character in the video game Free City "has been turning heads by being the good guy."

  • Because it's just an incredible story with very colorful characters involved.

  • Earlier on we was talking about, you know, obviously a few of the colourful characters that we both know.

  • Who is this colorful character?

  • And Hunt was quite a colourful character in many ways.

  • Lopez, his friends agree, was a great guy and a colorful character.

    Blog text (32)
  • A resident of New York City, Albert Aiken was apparently quite a colorful character.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The author has worked with Hollywood celebrities, mafia captains, and many other colorful characters.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The festival featured many colorful characters dressed in vibrant costumes, adding excitement to the event.

Synonyms

character
vscolorful character
  • Informal
623 4.1

An interesting or unusual person you notice because of how they act

focuses more on being lively and notably interesting rather than just unusual
eccentric person
vscolorful character
1 6.0

A person with unusual habits or behavior

often includes liveliness and notable charm beyond mere odd habits
eccentric
vscolorful character
1 7.0

A person who behaves in an unusual way that others find odd

usually adds interest or liveliness to those unusual behaviors
hardcase
vscolorful character
  • Slang
1 8.3

A funny person who behaves in a bold, unusual way

is more about being unusual or eccentric without entertaining others
quirky personality
vscolorful character
1 4.8

A person who acts in an unusual but likable way

tends to suggest lively, notable behaviour rather than only odd trait patterns
vibrant personality
vscolorful character
1 3.4

A person who is lively, energetic, and enthusiastic

is more about being unusual or eccentric rather than only energetic
whimsical character
vscolorful character
6.5

A person in a story who is amusingly odd and playful

refers to a real, notable person rather than an imagined playful figure

Antonyms

721 1.0

Not interesting and making you feel tired or impatient

80 4.3

Ordinary daily things or events that are not special and often feel boring

How Colorful

colorful character
  • US
4 4.8
personality
  • Literature
136 3.7
ordinary
5 2.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

colorful + character

The meaning 'a person who is interesting or eccentric' is directly derived from combining 'colorful' (notable, vivid) with 'character' (person), following a standard adjective+noun compositional pattern. The metaphor of 'colorful' for an interesting personality is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Colorful character uses the image of a person full of bright colour. People used colorful for someone with loud clothes or bold habits and character for 'person', so it now means someone 'interesting' or 'unusual'.