# midnight blue

CEFR B1 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/midnight-blue
Updated: 2026-08-02

## Definition

a very dark shade of blue that looks almost black, like the sky late at night.

For teachers: a deep, saturated hue of blue characterized by its proximity to black on the value scale. It functions as a compound noun or an attributive adjective to describe specific pigments or textiles.

## Examples

- She wore a beautiful midnight blue dress to the party.
- The new car is painted midnight blue, so it looks black until the sun hits it directly.
- The artist utilized midnight blue to evoke a sense of profound stillness in the nocturnal landscape.

## Usage notes

- often used to describe formal clothing, car paint, or the night sky.
- Teaching tip: use this to teach how color names can be modified by nouns to create specific shades; compare with 'navy blue' which is slightly lighter and more traditional.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.