blue
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.the colour of the clear sky or the sea.
n.the colour between green and violet in the visible spectrum; one of the primary additive colours.
Simple“The artist used a bright blue for the sky in her painting.”
In context“The deep blue of the Mediterranean was captured perfectly in the photographer's latest series of coastal landscapes.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
adj.having the colour of the sky or sea.
adj.possessing a blue hue or tint.
Simple“He wore a blue shirt that matched his eyes.”
In context“The architect specified blue tinted glass for the skyscraper to reflect the surrounding atmosphere.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.feeling sad, unhappy, or without hope.
adj.experiencing low spirits, melancholy, or mild depression.
Simple“I was feeling a bit blue after my best friend moved away.”
In context“Despite the festive atmosphere, he couldn't help feeling blue on the anniversary of his father's passing.”
Synonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.related to a specific political party, like the Democrats in the US or Conservatives in the UK.
adj.pertaining to a political party represented by the colour blue; usage varies by country.
Simple“California is known as a blue state in American presidential elections.”
In context“The candidate focused her campaign efforts on traditionally blue districts where voter turnout was expected to be high.”
Antonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
adj.containing jokes or stories about sex that some people might find offensive.
adj.referring to content that is risqué, indecent, or contains profane language.
Simple“The comedian was famous for his blue jokes that were only for adults.”
In context“The film was edited for television to remove the bluer segments of the dialogue that were deemed inappropriate for a general audience.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
- 07 C2 Proficiency
n.a fight, a loud argument, or a mistake.
n.a physical brawl, a heated verbal argument, or a significant blunder.
Simple“The two players got into a blue on the field during the game.”
In context“A massive blue erupted outside the pub after the local team lost the grand final.”
UsagePrimarily used in Australian and New Zealand English.
Teacher's tipLearners should be aware this is highly regional; in most other dialects, 'blue' never means a fight.
- 08 C1 Advanced
v.to make something blue or to become blue.
v.to cause to become blue; to treat a surface so it takes on a blue tint.
Simple“The cold weather blued his lips as he waited for the bus.”
In context“The craftsman carefully blued the steel barrels of the antique firearm to protect them from corrosion.”
Usage blue whales · blue stars
From the German surname, Americanized from Blau or its French cognate Bleu.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.