Tint
noun / verb /tɪnt/ — A color lightened with white — a shade's brighter, softer counterpart.
Definition
A shade of a color; a color lightened by the addition of white; a slight coloring; (as verb) to apply a tint to.
Beyond the definition
Tint is the precise word for color made lighter by white — the blush rather than the red, the powder blue rather than the navy. Tints are associated with softness and delicacy precisely because white dilutes not just the value but the emotional force of a color.
Origin & history
From Italian tinta — dyed color (from Latin tingere: to dye). The dyed color — a specific hue achieved by dyeing. The term migrated from dye to the quality of light color.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The sky at early evening had a tint of rose — just enough to warm the blue.
She chose tints for the walls: colors present but not insistent, softened by light.
A tint is a color in conversation with white — what emerges when two meet and white prevails slightly.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Tint” when the meaning fits your context: A shade of a color; a color lightened by the addition of white; a slight coloring; (as verb) to apply a tint to.
Synonyms
Antonyms
shade, deep color
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Mixing Subtle Pigment Shades
Thick paints on an artist’s palette are being swirled to create new, lighter, and more delicate colour combinations.
The mixing of paints demonstrates the creation of tints, where adding lighter colors or white changes the value of a hue. It highlights the subtle coloring process that transforms a basic color into a lighter, varied shade through the addition of white.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Tint" mean?
Tint is noun / verb meaning: A color lightened with white — a shade's brighter, softer counterpart.. A shade of a color; a color lightened by the addition of white; a slight coloring; (as verb) to apply a tint to.
Where does the word "Tint" come from?
From Italian tinta — dyed color (from Latin tingere: to dye). The dyed color — a specific hue achieved by dyeing. The term migrated from dye to the quality of light color.