colourless

/ˈkʌlələs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkʌlərləs/ (ame, ipa)

colourless — adjective

  • colourlesspositive
  • more colourlesscomparative
  • most colourlesssuperlative

1. If a liquid, gas, or other substance is colourless, it shows no colour in its ap

1.形容詞B1
釋義

If a liquid, gas, or other substance is colourless, it shows no colour in its appearance — clear water and clean air are everyday examples; when describing a person's face, the word means extremely pale, usually because of fear, shock, or illness.

例句

The liquid was completely colourless, so the scientist could not tell which chemical it was.

colourless liquid — literal use with substances

Aiko's face turned colourless when she heard the terrible news about the earthquake.

face turns colourless — describing sudden paleness

同義詞
  • transparent

    focuses on being see-through rather than lacking colour

  • clear

    can also mean free of cloudiness or impurities

  • pale

    still has some colour but very faint; less extreme than colourless

反義詞

文法句型

be + colourless

turn/go + colourless

用法筆記

Frequently describes liquids, gases, and other physical substances. When describing a person's complexion, 'turned colourless' or 'went colourless' is the typical collocation, often following a sudden shock or illness.

常見錯誤

❌He wore a colourless shirt to work.
✅He wore a plain white shirt to work.
💡'colourless' is rarely used for ordinary clothing; 'plain' or 'white' are more natural.

2. If a person, event, piece of writing, or place is colourless, it is dull and uni

2.形容詞B2
釋義

If a person, event, piece of writing, or place is colourless, it is dull and uninteresting — completely lacking any quality that would make someone feel engaged, excited, or curious.

例句

The manager's colourless speech put most of the staff to sleep before lunch.

colourless speech — describing dull public speaking

Beatriz found the film colourless and turned it off after twenty minutes.

find + noun + colourless — opinion structure

同義詞
  • dull

    very similar meaning; slightly more common in everyday speech

  • bland

    suggests lack of strong character, especially for food or personality

  • uninteresting

    more direct and literal; less expressive than colourless

反義詞
  • colourful

    full of interest and variety; the direct figurative opposite

  • lively

    full of energy and excitement

  • exciting

    causing strong interest or enthusiasm

文法句型

be + colourless

find + noun + colourless

用法筆記

Typically describes speeches, writing, performances, personalities, or cultural events. The word implies a complete absence of engaging qualities rather than simply being mildly boring. Common in reviews and critical opinions.

常見錯誤

❌The party was colourless, but I stayed anyway.
✅The party was colourless, so I left early.
💡'colourless' means so dull that it is actively off-putting; it does not mean merely average.