50 Colour Idioms: Idiomatic expressions with colours in English
Learn 50 colour idioms in English in this megapost. From «feel blue» to «be in the black», you will learn many ways to express yourself.
Table of contents
There is no denying that idiomatic expressions with colours in English (or colour idioms) are quite common. From see red to feel blue, there are all sorts of idioms with colours to express a wide variety of things. And although most native speakers are probably familiar with all these colour idioms in English, non-native speakers like you probably aren’t quite as familiar.
That’s why, in today’s post, I’m going to give you a fairly comprehensive list of colour idioms—that is, idiomatic expressions that use a colour or related term to express something. Let’s go!
Idioms with “black”
to black out
- Meaning: to faint or lose consciousness
- Example:
He blacked out as soon as he crossed the finish line.
black sheep
- Meaning: the black sheep; a member of a group who is different from the rest in a negative way
- Example:
John was never at ease with his family; he felt like the black sheep.
black as coal / coal black
- Meaning: completely black in colour
- Example:
When she looked at him, she saw his coal-black eyes.
His eyes were black as coal.
to get/have a black eye
- Meaning: 1) a source of dishonour or shame; or 2) an area of bruised skin around the eye resulting from a blow.
- Example:
1) These slums are a black eye to our town.
2) His nose was bleeding and he had one extremely black eye.
the black market
- Meaning: the black market; illegal trade or commerce of goods
- Example:
They want her to keep an eye on the black market for stolen artifacts.
(a) black tie (event)
- Meaning: semi-formal dress code, typically referring to a specific type of event
- Example:
It’s a black-tie dinner, so I won’t be wearing my suit; just some chinos, a shirt and a tie.
to be in the black
- Meaning: debt-free, in a good financial position
- Example:
Last year, the company was back in the black, showing a $3.5 million surplus.
the pot calling the kettle black
- Meaning: used to refer to someone with a particular fault who accuses another of having the same fault
- Example:
For him to tell people how to drive safely is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Idioms with “blue”
bolt from the blue
- Meaning: completely unexpected and surprising
- Example:
The decision to appoint a new manager came as a bolt from the blue.
(until sb. is) blue in the face
- Meaning: exhausted and speechless, due to excessive anger, physical effort, etc.
- Example:
I told you! I told you about this until I was blue in the face. But you didn’t listen.
to give sb./have the blues
- Meaning: to feel sad or depressed
- Example:
This rainy weather is giving me the blues.
once in a blue moon
- Meaning: rarely, very occasionally, infrequently
- Example:
Nowadays, we only see each other once in a blue moon.
out of the blue
- Meaning: suddenly, without warning
- Example:
Suddenly, out of the blue, he got up and left the room without a word.
to feel blue
- Meaning: to feel sad or depressed
- Example:
I was feeling a bit blue, so I just wanted to stay in and do nothing.
to have blue blood
- Meaning: to come from a family of high social rank
- Example:
Ronald comes from a pure blue-blood family, but he doesn’t show it.
Idioms with “brown”
brown-nose
- Meaning: to act in an excessively submissive way to gain someone’s favour
- Example:
He has been brown-nosing his manager just to get a larger office.
Idioms with “golden”
a golden opportunity
- Meaning: a perfect opportunity
- Example:
Spain took advantage of a golden opportunity to beat Germany in the finals.
the golden goose
- Meaning: the goose that lays the golden eggs; a continuous source of wealth or profit
- Example:
This job is probably the nearest you’ll get to a golden goose.
to have a heart of gold
- Meaning: used to say that someone is very good and kind to other people
- Example:
He’s a really nice bloke with a heart of gold.
Idioms with “green”
to give sb. the green light
- Meaning: to give someone permission to do something
- Example:
The boss gave us the green light, so we’ll start on the presentation tomorrow.
to be/get green with envy
- Meaning: to feel very envious or jealous
- Example:
I was green with envy when Martha told me her good news.
the green-eyed monster
- Meaning: jealousy
- Example:
Othello fell under the sway of the green-eyed monster.
to have green fingers
- Meaning: to be good at gardening
- Example:
Her garden looks marvellous; she clearly has green fingers.
the grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)
- Meaning: used to say that other people always seem to be in a better situation than you, but in reality, their situation may not be as good as it seems
- Example:
Don’t be fooled by appearances. You know that the grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence.
Idioms with “grey”
a grey area
- Meaning: something without a clear rule or answer
- Example:
Cannabis consumption is kind of a grey area.
Idioms with “pink”
tickled pink
- Meaning: very pleased and appreciative
- Example:
I’m just tickled pink to have been nominated for the award.
Idioms with “red”
to turn red as a beetroot
- Meaning: to have a flushed face, especially from embarrassment or anger
- Example:
His skin flushed red as a beetroot and he started yelling immediately.
to catch sb. red handed
- Meaning: to catch someone red-handed, just as they are doing something wrong
- Example:
The burglar was caught red handed shortly after breaking into my house.
to be in the red
- Meaning: to be in debt, to have debts
- Example:
After all the expenses we’ve had, we’re quite in the red.
red tape
- Meaning: excessive bureaucracy or formality to achieve something
- Example:
Prepare yourself for quite a bit of red tape if you want to set up a business in Spain.
a red eye
- Meaning: a flight that departs after midnight
- Example:
I went online and booked a red eye to San Francisco that same night.
to roll out the red carpet
- Meaning: to treat someone like royalty
- Example:
When I met her parents, they really rolled out the red carpet for me.
to see red
- Meaning: to get very angry
- Example:
As soon as she told me, I saw red. I’ve never felt angrier in my life.
to paint the town red
- Meaning: to go out and celebrate, to have a good time without holding back
- Example:
Come on, let’s call our friends and paint the town red tonight!
a red flag
- Meaning: a sign of a particular problem that requires attention
- Example:
The conditions of the contract have a few red flags. Make sure you read them carefully before signing.
to be red hot
- Meaning: 1) extremely hot; 2) very exciting, interesting, or good.
- Example:
1) Don’t touch the plate; it’s red hot!
2) The USA are red-hot favourites to take back the cup after three consecutive wins.
Idioms with “rose”
rose coloured glasses
- Meaning: an unrealistic view
- Example:
She goes about life with her rose-coloured glasses and doesn’t realise that people are taking advantage of her.
Idioms with “silver”
born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
- Meaning: born into a wealthy family
- Example:
He’s got nothing to worry about financially; he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
(every cloud has a) silver lining
- Meaning: the bright side of things; something good even in a situation that seems very sad or difficult
- Example:
I know that this might be hard for you to hear now, but every cloud has a silver lining.
(to hand sb. sth.) on a silver platter
- Meaning: to give someone something without them having to work or make an effort to get it
- Example:
These kids seem to believe that opportunities come handed to them on a silver platter, without the need for hard work.
Idioms with “white”
a white lie
- Meaning: a white lie; an innocent lie to protect someone else’s feelings
- Example:
Please, forgive me. It was just a white lie; I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.
to wave a white flag
- Meaning: to surrender, to give up
- Example:
Before you wave a white flag of surrender, give these tips a try. You might find them useful.
white as a ghost
- Meaning: very white or pale, especially the face of someone who is afraid
- Example:
When we heard that noise, Jim went white as a ghost.
Idioms with “yellow”
yellow-bellied
- Meaning: used to describe someone who is cowardly
- Example:
John’s brother used to call him yellow-bellied because he didn’t want to ride a bike.
Other colour idioms in English
to show/reveal one’s true colours
- Meaning: to reveal what someone is really like, ending a false impression
- Example:
We always thought Rob was completely honest, but he showed his true colours when he tried to use a stolen credit card.
to pass with flying colours
- Meaning: to pass with distinction / with very high marks
- Example:
Josh passed his test with flying colours.
to keep sb. in the dark
- Meaning: to keep someone in the dark or uninformed
- Example:
They kept my Nanna in the dark so she wouldn’t get upset about the news.
black and blue
- Meaning: discoloured, usually from bruising
- Example:
When I left the hospital, my face was still black and blue from the accident.
black and white
- Meaning: easy to understand what is right and what is wrong
- Example:
That isn’t an accurate portrait of much of British society nowadays, as most people don’t see these things purely in black and white.
black or white
- Meaning: completely one way or the other, without any middle ground
- Example:
I need more time to consider things; this is not a black-or-white situation.
Diagnoses are not always clear-cut, black-or-white propositions. There are many that include grey areas.
Colour Idioms in PDF [Download]
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See you in the next post. Until then, don’t forget to keep smiling!