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Chromophilia: Explorations in Color: Describing Color

This is a research guide for Ann Pibal's course Chromophilia: Explorations in Color (VA4215.01)

Adjectives for Colors

A
ablaze, accented, acidic, alluring, anemic, aquatic, ashen, ashy, atomic, autumnal

B
blazing, bleached, bleak, blinding, blotchy, bold, brash, bright, brilliant, bronzed, bruised, burnt

C
calm, chromatic, classic, clean, cold, complementing, contrasting, cool, coordinating, crepuscular, creamy, crisp

D
dappled, dark, dayglow, dazzling, decadent, deep, delicate, dim, dirty, drab, dreary, dull, dusty, dynamic

E
earthy, electric, energetic, eye-catching

F
faded, faint, festive, fiery, flashy, flattering, fluorescent, fresh, frosty, full-toned

G
gaudy, gentle, glistening, glittering, glossy, glowing

H
harmonious, harsh, hazy, historical, hot

I
icy, indelible, illuminated, incandescent, intense, iridescent

J

jittery, joyful

K
kindred, kinetic

L
lambent, light, loud, luminous, lusterless, lustrous

M
majestic, matte, mellow, metallic, mild, milky, monochromatic, moldy, muddy, murky, muted

N
natural, neon, neutral, noisy, nostalgic, noxious, numb

O
oily, old-fashioned, opalescent, opaque

P
pale, parched, pastel, pasty, patchy, pearly, plain, powerful, psychedelic, primary, pure, putrid

Q

quiet, quintessential

R
radiant, raw, redolent, reflective, reminiscent, replusive, rich, robust, rosy, royal, ruddy, rustic

S
sallow, satiny, saturated, sedate, shaded, sheer, shining, shiny, shocking, showy, smoky, soft, solid, somber, soothing, sooty, sparkling, stagnant, streaked, striking, strong, subdued, subtle, swirling

T
tepid, tinged, tinted, tonal, toned, traditional, translucent, transparent, tranquil, turbulent

U
ubiquitous, undiluted, undulating, uneven, uniform, urbane

V
velvety, venomous, verdant, vibrant, violent, vivid

W
wan, warm, watery, washed-out, waxen, wild

Verbs for Colors

A
abate, absorb, abstract, accent, accompany, affirm, alleviate, amplify, anchor, annex, announce, appropriate, arrange, ascend, attempt, augment, authorize

B
beckon, become, besmirch, bewitch, bind, blacken, blaze, bleed, blind, blossom, blunt, bolster, bond, brighten, bruise, build, burn, burst

C
calibrate, calm, captivate, carve, challenge, churn, claim, clarify, clash, cleanse, clear, cloak, cloud, coat, cohere, combine, complement, condense, conceal, contrast, convey, cool, coordinate

D
dampen, dance, darken, dazzle, deaden, decay, declare, deepen, defuse, degrade, delight, delineate, demand, desire, destabilize, detail, devour, differentiate, diffuse, dilate, disarm, disguise, dissipate, dissolve, drain, drench

E
echo, eclipse, elevate, embellish, emerge, energize, enervate, engage, enhance, enfold, enrich, envelop, establish, evolve, excite, excrete, exert, expand, explode, extinguish, extract

F
fade, fascinate, ferment, filter, finish, flag, flash, flatten, flatter, flutter, fluoresce, forecast, form, foster, fracture, frame, fuse

G
glaze, generate, germinate, gleam, glimmer, glisten, glow, gloss, govern, granulate, gravitate, groom

H
hamper, harmonize, hasten, hatch, haunt, heighten, herald, heal, hinder, hover

I
identify, illuminate, imitate, impart, implore, impose, induce, infiltrate, inform, interrupt, intersect, interweave, intoxicate, inundate, invoke

K
keep, kindle, know

L
lambent, languish, last, leap, level, life, light, loosen, lure

M
magnetize, manifest, mask, materialize, maximize, meander, mimic, mirror, mitigate, mix, moderate, muffle, mute

N
narrate, narrow, naturalize, navigate, necessitate, need, neglect, nestle, neutralize, normalize, notify

O
object, oblige, obliterate, obscure, occlude, occupy, open, oppress, orient, ossify, outshine, overshadow, overwhelm

P
pair, penetrate, perform, permit, persist, persuade, polish, pop, possess, prepare, produce, project, prompt, provoke, pull, pulsate, purify

R
radiate, recede, redden, reflect, remind, repel, represent, reveal, ricochet, ripple, run, rupture

S
saturate, scatter, scintillate, sear, seduce, shade, shake, shine, shock, sicken, signify, sing, smother, soak, soften, sooth, sparkle, stain, streak, subdue, sunder, support, surge, swirl, symbolize, synthesize

T
tame, tantalize, thin, thicken, threaten, thrill, throb, tinge, tighten, tint, transcend, twinkle, typify

U
undulate, unite, unerve

V
vacillate, vary, vibrate, vivify

W
wane, warm, wax, weaken, whirl, wink, wrap