Colour is everywhere in English – and not just in the rainbow. We use colours to describe emotions, situations, people and even money, often without thinking about it.
Colour idioms are expressions that use a colour to convey a meaning that isn’t necessarily connected to the colour itself. So if someone is feeling blue, they aren’t usually sitting around waiting for a paintbrush.
From seeing red to being green with envy, these colourful expressions are a great way to understand how English speakers use language in everyday conversation.
What are colour idioms?
Colour idioms are phrases that contain a colour word but have a meaning beyond their literal one. Their meanings aren’t always obvious from the individual words, which is what makes idioms both interesting and occasionally rather confusing for English learners.
For example, if someone says “I’m in the black,” they’re not talking about their favourite colour. They’re talking about money.
Here are 10 common colour idioms to get you started.
10 common colour idioms
a grey area
meaning: a situation where the rules or meaning are unclear
example: Whether you can bring your dog into the restaurant is a bit of a grey area.
a white lie
meaning: a small lie told to avoid hurting someone or causing a problem
example: I told a little white lie and said I loved her new haircut.
feeling blue
meaning: feeling sad or unhappy
example: I’ve been feeling a bit blue lately, so I’m going to cheer myself up with a good film.
green with envy
meaning: extremely jealous
example: Sarah was green with envy when her friend showed her the photos from her luxury holiday.
in the black
meaning: making a profit or having enough money to pay what you owe
example: After a difficult year, the company is finally back in the black.
in the red
meaning: owing money or losing money
example: We’ve spent so much on the house that we’re seriously in the red.
once in a blue moon
meaning: very rarely
example: We only go out for a fancy meal once in a blue moon.
paint the town red
meaning: to go out and enjoy yourself, especially by partying or celebrating
example: We’re going out tonight to paint the town red and celebrate her birthday.
see red
meaning: to become very angry
example: He really saw red when he realised someone had scratched his car.
the black sheep
meaning: a person who is different from the rest of their family or group
example: I’m the black sheep of my family because I’m the only one who doesn’t like football.
Explore colour idioms by colour
Want to get more colourful with your English? Explore our individual colour idiom pages to discover more expressions, meanings and examples.
black idioms
black and blue
meaning – beaten and bruised
example – We spent a week hiking around Nepal. It was great, but we were black and blue after.
black and white
meaning – something is clear, straightforward
example – The rules are black and white. If you cheat, you will be removed from the school.
black cloud hanging over one
meaning – having a streak of bad luck, depressed
example – Invite Millie, she needs cheering up. She’s got a black cloud hanging over her head.
black eye
meaning – a bruise around your eye
example – Terry has a black eye; he won’t tell me how he got it.
black market
meaning – buying and selling illegal goods
example – A girl in my uni sold her kidney on the black market to pay for her course.
black out
meaning – faint, pass out, become unconscious
example – I drank way too much last night. I blacked out and woke up in hospital.
black tie event
meaning – a formal event where you have to dress smartly
example – I need to hire a tuxedo; I’ve got a black-tie award’s ceremony next week.
blacklist
meaning – a list of bad, naughty, untrustworthy etc. people
example – I’m on the council’s blacklist, they won’t give me another flat.
blackmail someone
meaning – force someone to do something
example – My ex is blackmailing me. I have to give him £1000, or he’ll post my private pictures online.
in the black
meaning – have money, not be in debt
example – This time next year I will have paid off all my debts and be in the black
pitch black
meaning – somewhere that is very dark
example – The teacher locked Damon in a pitch-black cupboard for over an hour.
pot calling the kettle black
meaning – a person criticizes someone for doing something they also do
example – Pot calling the kettle black Lisa. You can’t tell me to stop smoking, you smoke.
the black sheep of the family
meaning – the naughty/odd/different one
example – All my family are doctors, but my brother is unemployed. He’s the black sheep.
brown idioms
as brown as a berry
meaning – very suntanned
example – I’m off to Greece for 3 weeks. I’ll be as brown as a berry by the end.
brown off
meaning – keep food uncovered in the oven so it gets brown and crispy
example – I’ll leave the pie in for 5 more minutes, I want the top to brown off a bit.
gold idioms
as good as gold
meaning – well behaved/obedient
example – The twins were as good as gold, so I let them stay up for an extra half an hour.
golden boy/girl
meaning – a popular, skilful, successful person
example – Henry will get to go to America with the firm. He is the golden boy.
golden handshake
meaning – a large sum of money given to someone retiring/being made redundant
example – My dad got a very generous golden handshake. He is going to buy a house in Spain.
golden opportunity
meaning – a perfect chance, an ideal moment
example – House prices are really low. It’s a golden opportunity to get on the property ladder.
heart of gold
meaning – a kind/generous person with a big heart
example – She may look like a witch, but she’s got a heart of gold.
worth one’s weight in gold
meaning – useful, kind, helpful, important, valuable
example – These new machines are worth their weight in gold.
pink idioms
see pink elephants
meaning – hallucinations caused by drink or drugs
example – Those pills we took were crazy. I saw pink elephants for days afterwards.
tickled pink
meaning – very pleased/amused
example – Gary is going to be tickled pink when I tell him the good news about his house.
silver idioms
born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
meaning – born into a rich family
example – I would hate to have been born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I like working for my things.
silver fox
meaning – a handsome grey-haired man
example – Rufus was a geek at school, now he’s a silver fox.
silver screen
meaning – the film industry
example – Jane is off to America; she wants to be on the silver screen.
silver surfer
meaning – an elderly person who uses the internet
example – I’m teaching my grandad how to use eBay; he wants to be a silver surfer.
Have a little listen to this song which is about ‘true colours’.
white idioms
as white as a sheet
meaning – become pale because of shock, fear, sickness
example – Kayleigh went as white as a sheet when she was getting her tattoo done.
black and white
meaning – something is clear, straightforward
example – The rules are black and white. If you cheat, you will be removed from the school.
wave the white flag
meaning – indicate to the other team you surrender
example – We had to wave the white flag. We ran out of paintballs and were 4 team members down.
white elephant
meaning – a useless possession or investment
example – My caravan is a white elephant. The weather is always bad, so no one wants to rent it.
white lie
meaning – a small innocent lie with good intentions
example – We told grandma a white lie. We said we loved her cabbage soup.
white-collar
meaning – professionals or office workers
example – All my family are white-collar workers.
white-knuckle ride
meaning – a scary experience/situation
example – I went on a white-knuckle speedboat ride, I was so scared.
Why learn colour idioms?
Idioms are an important part of everyday English. Native speakers use them in conversations, books, films, television and online, so understanding them can make English much easier to follow.
Colour idioms are particularly useful because they appear in a surprisingly wide range of situations. Learning them can help you understand what someone really means rather than taking an expression literally.
And, let’s be honest, English would be considerably less interesting if everyone simply said what they meant.
Colour is only the beginning. English has idioms involving animals, food, body parts, weather, money and just about everything else you can imagine.
Explore more English idioms and expressions on Mingle-ish and discover the strange, funny and surprisingly logical meanings hiding behind everyday phrases.