DictionaryshadeColor variation
noun / verb

shade

A particular gradation of color.

She chooses a soft shade of blue for the bedroom.

Etymology

Shade originally concerns reduced light or shadow. A color shade is a particular variation in its lightness, darkness, or tone.

More examples

  • These two shades of green look almost identical.
  • I shade the petals pink with a colored pencil.
  • The translation misses a subtle shade of meaning.

Forms

shade · shades · shaded · shading

shading noun — Gradual changes in color or tone.

Similar words

hue
Hue identifies the basic color rather than its gradation.
tone
Tone emphasizes a color's relative lightness, darkness, or intensity.
tint
Tint usually means a lighter version of a color.