What does yellowish mean?
Yellowish is an adjective meaning somewhat yellow or resembling yellow in colour. It is used when a speaker or writer can identify the general colour but not the exact shade, as in “a yellowish light,” “a yellowish tint,” or “a yellowish-brown surface.” The word is neutral and common in both British and American English, appearing in descriptions of natural objects, lighting, skin, liquids, materials, and old photographs. The suffix -ish softens the more definite colour term yellow, indicating approximation rather than an exact match. This makes yellowish useful in detailed description when a specific colour name would be too precise, too technical, or simply unavailable. Although its meaning is straightforward, it plays an important part in nuanced writing by allowing a writer to acknowledge subtle visual qualities without claiming that an object has one precise hue.
adjectiveSomewhat yellow; having a hue or appearance resembling yellow.
- Somewhat yellow in colour; having a hue or appearance resembling yellow.
"The leaves had taken on a faint yellowish tint."
"The leaves had taken on a faint yellowish tint."
"The old photograph had a yellowish cast, suggesting that it had been exposed to light."
Yellowish is what colour becomes when precision has had enough.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does yellowish come from?
Yellowish was formed in English by adding the suffix -ish to yellow. Yellow comes from Old English geolu, while -ish descends from Old English -isc, a suffix used to indicate a lesser degree or the general nature of something. German gelb and Dutch geel are cognates of the colour term yellow and therefore belong to the same wider Germanic colour tradition as yellowish.
Related word forms
How yellowish is actually used
This is a neutral, widely used descriptive term. It is especially common when describing light, colours, skin, photographs, and other surfaces whose exact shade is approximate or difficult to determine.
Easily confused with yellowish
Yellowish means somewhat yellow, whereas yellower is the comparative form of yellow and means more yellow than something else.