yellow
yellow — adjective
1. of the bright colour shared by ripe lemons, egg yolks, and sunflower centres
of the bright colour shared by ripe lemons, egg yolks, and sunflower centres
Bao picked a bright yellow raincoat so drivers could see him on the dark road.
collocation: bright yellow / pale yellow / dark yellow
The yellow leaves from the maple tree covered the front garden in a thick layer.
Iris wore a yellow scarf that matched the daffodils blooming along the path.
A yellow taxi stopped outside the train station to pick up the waiting passengers.
The walls of the kitchen were painted a soft yellow that made the room feel warm.
- blue
on the opposite side of the colour wheel
常見錯誤
2. an extremely offensive and racist term used to describe a person of East or Sout
an extremely offensive and racist term used to describe a person of East or Southeast Asian descent, based on the colour of their skin. This word is deeply insulting and should not be used.
The newspaper was criticised for printing a headline that used the racist word yellow to describe Asian immigrants.
EXPLICITLY marks the term as racist
Minho's grandfather still remembered how painful it was to be called yellow during his childhood in the 1950s.
The teacher explained that yellow had been used as a hateful label against Asian communities for more than a century.
Many modern dictionaries now mark the word yellow as offensive when used to describe a person's race.
用法筆記
This is one of the most offensive racial slurs in English. It has a long history tied to racist immigration policies and discrimination against people of East and Southeast Asian heritage. NEVER use this word to describe a person or a group of people. Even repeating it in historical or academic discussion should be done with care and context.
常見錯誤
3. lacking the courage to face danger, difficulty, or opposition; easily frightened
lacking the courage to face danger, difficulty, or opposition; easily frightened and unwilling to take a stand
Sven called his teammate yellow for backing out of the competition at the last minute.
informal register: 'call someone yellow'
Andrés felt yellow when he could not bring himself to speak up against the unfair rule at work.
The cowardly lion in the children's story was always nervous, though he was not really yellow at all.
Running away from your friends when there is trouble is a yellow thing to do.
- cowardly
more formal and neutral; the standard word for this meaning
- timid
describes a shy, cautious personality rather than a lack of moral courage
- faint-hearted
literary; describes someone who gives up easily at the first sign of difficulty
- brave
willing to face danger or pain
- courageous
having the strength to face difficulty despite fear
用法筆記
This sense is informal and somewhat old-fashioned. It is often used in accusations ('You're yellow!') or self-criticism. The more common and neutral word for this meaning is 'cowardly'.
常見錯誤
4. having become yellowish in appearance, typically because of age, disease, or dam
having become yellowish in appearance, typically because of age, disease, or damage from light or chemicals
Nila found a stack of yellow letters from her grandmother hidden inside the dusty attic box.
collocation: yellow with age
The pages of the old book had grown yellow and fragile after sitting on the shelf for fifty years.
Ravindra's yellow skin worried the doctor, who immediately ordered a blood test for the patient.
The yellow stains on the ceiling showed where the old roof had leaked during the rainy season.
用法筆記
When describing a person's skin, 'yellow' can suggest illness such as jaundice or liver problems. This is a medical observation, not related to the offensive racial slur (adj/2).
5. describing a style of journalism that uses exaggerated, shocking, or scandalous
describing a style of journalism that uses exaggerated, shocking, or scandalous headlines and stories to attract readers, often at the cost of factual accuracy
The local newspaper was accused of yellow journalism after publishing a wildly exaggerated story about the mayor.
fixed phrase: yellow journalism
Ingrid studied how yellow reporting influenced public opinion during the 19th-century newspaper wars in New York.
The editor refused to run yellow stories that twisted facts just to sell more copies of the paper.
Many historians trace the rise of yellow news coverage to the fierce competition between two newspaper owners in the 1890s.
- sensational
broader term; can describe any shocking content, not limited to news
- tabloid
refers to a specific newspaper format known for sensational stories
- exaggerated
describes content that overstates the truth, without the journalistic context
用法筆記
This sense almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'yellow journalism' or 'yellow press.' It is not commonly used to describe modern online media, though the concept of sensational reporting is still relevant.
常見錯誤
yellow — noun
1. the bright colour that you see when you look at a ripe lemon, a banana, or the c
the bright colour that you see when you look at a ripe lemon, a banana, or the centre of a sunflower; one of the primary colours
Yellow is Bao's favourite colour because it reminds her of sunshine and warm summer days.
The artist mixed blue and yellow together on the palette to create a bright shade of green.
collocation: mix blue and yellow
The Wangs painted the nursery in a cheerful yellow to make the room feel bright.
Warning signs are printed in bright yellow so that drivers can see them from a distance.
A stripe of yellow ran across the middle of the black fabric like a ribbon of light.
- yellowness
a less common noun form; used more abstractly or scientifically
常見錯誤
yellow — verb
1. to become yellow in colour, or to cause something to become yellow — for example
to become yellow in colour, or to cause something to become yellow — for example, when old paper or fabric changes colour over time
The pages of the old newspaper had yellowed after years of exposure to direct sunlight.
intransitive use: old paper yellows over time
The smoke from the factory yellowed the white curtains that hung in the houses nearby.
transitive use: smoke yellowed the curtains
The photographer noticed that her favourite prints had begun to yellow around the edges after twenty years.
The strong cleaning chemicals yellowed the plastic container within just a few months of use.
文法句型
something yellows
someone yellows something
用法筆記
This verb is most commonly used in its intransitive form ('paper yellows') or as the past participle ('yellowed pages'). It describes a gradual, natural process rather than an intentional action.