colorful
colorful — 形容詞
1. the US way of writing the word 'colourful'
美式拼寫
colourful 的美式拼法
the US way of writing the word 'colourful'
The US spelling 'colorful' is more common than the UK spelling 'colourful' in American books.
在美國出版的書籍中，colorful 這個美式拼法比英式拼法 colourful 更常見。
spelling note: US vs UK -ful/-our
My teacher wrote 'colorful' on the board because our school uses American English.
我們老師把 colorful 寫在黑板上，因為學校教的是美式英語。
When reading British novels, I sometimes forget they spell 'colourful' with a 'u'.
讀英國小說的時候，我有時候會忘記他們拼 colourful 的時候要加一個 u。
Both 'colorful' and 'colourful' are correct — the difference is just where you live.
colorful 和 colourful 兩種拼法都對——差別只在於你在哪個地方生活。
用法筆記
This is the American English spelling. In British English the word is written 'colourful' with the letters 'u' after 'o'. Both spellings cover the same meanings — there is no difference in usage or definition, only in spelling convention.
2. having many bright, rich, or different colors instead of being plain or dull
色彩繽紛
顏色鮮豔或多樣的
having many bright, rich, or different colors instead of being plain or dull
The children's bedroom was painted in colorful stripes of blue, green, and yellow.
小孩的臥室漆上了藍色、綠色和黃色的彩色條紋。
attributive use: colorful + noun
Ravi wore a colorful shirt covered in patterns of birds and flowers.
Ravi 穿了一件印滿鳥類和花朵圖案的花襯衫。
collocation: colorful + clothing item
The garden looked especially colorful after the spring rains brought all the flowers to bloom.
春天的雨水過後，花園裡百花盛開，看起來格外繽紛多彩。
A colorful parrot perched on the balcony rail, its feathers glowing in the morning sun.
一隻色彩繽紛的鸚鵡停在陽台欄杆上，羽毛在晨光中閃閃發亮。
The open-air market sold colorful fabrics in every shade imaginable.
露天市集販售著色彩繽紛的布料，各種深淺的顏色應有盡有。
- vivid
emphasizes intensity and brightness of each color, not necessarily variety
- bright
can describe a single color's intensity; 'bright' alone does not imply multiple colors
- vibrant
suggests lively, strong colors that catch the eye
- multicolored
more neutral and factual; just states many colors are present
文法句型
colorful + noun
be + colorful
用法筆記
Frequently used before a noun to describe something with several colors at once, not just one bright color. A 'colorful painting' has many hues; a 'bright red painting' has only one intense hue.
常見錯誤
3. lively and rich in character or content — used of people, events, stories, and l
多采多姿
有趣刺激且變化豐富的
lively and rich in character or content — used of people, events, stories, and language to describe something that is exciting, surprising, or even a little shocking because of its variety or unusual qualities
The old fisherman had a colorful past — dancer, sailor, and gold miner.
那位老漁夫的過去非常多采多姿——舞者、水手，還有淘金工人。
collocation: colorful + past / history / career
Leila told a colorful story about getting lost in the streets of Marrakesh.
Leila 講了一個精彩的故事，說她在馬拉喀什的巷弄裡迷路的經歷。
collocation: colorful + story / description
The coach used some colorful language after the referee's call, and the crowd gasped.
教練在裁判做出判決後罵了幾句難聽的話，全場觀眾都倒抽一口氣。
The festival drew a colorful crowd of painters, musicians, and street performers from ten countries.
這個藝術節吸引了來自十個國家的畫家、音樂家和街頭藝人，組成了一群豐富多元的人潮。
What makes the city so colorful is the way old traditions mix with modern life.
這座城市之所以如此多采多姿，是因為古老的傳統與現代生活巧妙地交融在一起。
- interesting
broader and more neutral; does not carry the 'shocking' edge
- lively
focuses on energy rather than variety
- vivid
can overlap in the 'vivid imagination' sense, but is less about variety and more about clarity or intensity
- varied
emphasizes diversity without the excitement or shock connotation
- dull
not interesting, boring
- boring
completely uninteresting, tedious
- monotonous
lacking in variety, repetitive
文法句型
colorful + noun
be + colorful
用法筆記
When applied to people's speech ('colorful language'), this sense often serves as a polite way to say that someone used rude or offensive words. Distinguish from sense 2: a 'colorful painting' is literally full of colors, while a 'colorful story' is figuratively full of interest.