English Reference
Adjective

brownish

adj.
B1 Intermediate US /ˈbɹaʊnɪʃ/ UK /bɹˈaʊnɪʃ/ brown·ish

adj.having a color that is almost brown but not quite. You use this to describe something that looks a little bit like brown.

adj.having a color that is somewhat brown or tinged with brown. The suffix '-ish' functions as a moderating element to indicate an approximate or imprecise quality.


SIMPLE

The old paper has a brownish color.

CONTEXTUAL

The river turned a brownish color after the heavy rain washed soil into the water.

COMPLEX

The artist used a brownish glaze to give the new furniture an antique appearance, mimicking the natural patina of aged oak.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'look' or 'turn'.


From brown + -ish.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated