English Vocabulary in Use - 65 All the colours of the rainbow

pitch black

intensely black, used about darkness, night, etc. (pitch is an old word for tar)

jet black

intensely black, used about hair, eyes, etc. (jet is a black semi-precious gemstone)

scarlet

very bright red

crimson

strong deep red

shocking pink

an extremely bright pink

ginger

orangey red, used about hair and animal fur

navy

dark blue, used about clothes, not eyes

turquoise

greenish blue, used about fabrics, paint, sea, etc. but not usually eyes

lime

a bright yellowish green

beige

a light creamy brown

mousy

a light, not very interesting brown, used only about hair

chestnut

a deep reddish brown, used about hair and horses

auburn

a red-brown colour, usually used about hair

ruby

deep red

emerald

bright green

amber

yellow orange

coral

orangey pink

sapphire

deep blue

jade

dark green

primary colours

red, blue and yellow

pastel colours

pale shades of colours

mauve

pale purple

strong colours

opposite of pastels

harsh colours

colours that are unpleasantly strong

vivid colours

strong, bright colours like scarlet or turquoise

fluorescent colours

very bright colours which seem to glow in the dark

tinge

a very slight shade of .. in it

monochrome

uses only one (or shades of one) colour

to feel blue

depression

blue-collar workers

physical or unskilled

to see red

to be very angry

red alert, a red flag

danger

red-carpet treatment, a red-letter day

special importance

red

communist or very left-wing in politics

to look green, turn/go green

nausea

green with envy

envy

green tourism; the Green Party

care for the enviroment

a black future

depressing or without hope

to look as black as thunder

anger

black market, black sheep of the family, black mark

illegality or incorrectness

grey area

a lack of clarity

grey matter, grey cells

brains

white as snow, whiter than white

purity

white as a sheet

being pale

white-knuckle

terrifying

white-collar workers

office workers