monochrome
/ˈmɒnəkrəʊm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɑːnəkrəʊm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmä-nə-ˌkrōm/ (ame, mw)
monochrome — adjective
- monochromepositive
- more monochromecomparative
- most monochromesuperlative
1. made with just one chosen hue throughout, or restricted to grey tones plus black
made with just one chosen hue throughout, or restricted to grey tones plus black and white, rather than a full palette of colours.
Owen prefers monochrome photos because the shapes and shadows stand out more.
attributive: monochrome + noun
The artist filled the gallery wall with monochrome paintings in different shades of blue.
monochrome + noun for visual art
Old films from the 1940s were shot in monochrome long before colour cameras became common.
Yuna chose a monochrome outfit of grey trousers, a grey shirt, and a black coat.
The book uses monochrome illustrations to give the story a quiet, old-fashioned feel.
- black-and-white
more everyday term, especially for old photos and films
- single-colour
neutral descriptive synonym; less common in print
- colour
as in 'colour photo' vs 'monochrome photo'
- multicoloured
for objects using many distinct colours
文法句型
monochrome + noun
in monochrome
用法筆記
Frequently attributive before nouns like 'photo', 'film', 'image', 'painting', 'screen'. The phrase 'in monochrome' is the common adverbial form.
常見錯誤
2. lacking variety, energy, or character, in a way that feels flat or boring.
lacking variety, energy, or character, in a way that feels flat or boring.
Critics described the singer's new album as a monochrome collection of slow ballads.
figurative: monochrome + creative-work noun
After two weeks of meetings and spreadsheets, the job started to feel monochrome to Anthony.
predicative: feel + monochrome
The novel paints a monochrome picture of life in the small mining town.
Joshua found the school's monochrome routine of bells and lessons hard to enjoy.
文法句型
monochrome + abstract noun
用法筆記
Figurative extension of sense 1: a colourless world becomes a metaphor for a dull or uniform one. Distinguish from sense 1 by checking whether the noun is visual (sense 1) or abstract / experiential (sense 2).
常見錯誤
monochrome — noun
1. a picture, photo, or print made using just one colour or shades of grey rather t
a picture, photo, or print made using just one colour or shades of grey rather than a full range of colours.
Élise hung a small monochrome of the river above her writing desk.
a monochrome of + scene noun
The exhibition showed a series of monochromes painted entirely in shades of blue.
plural: monochromes (countable)
Tomás printed the family photo as a monochrome to match the older pictures nearby.
Rodrigo studied a famous monochrome of two boxers facing each other under bright lights.
- black-and-white
as a noun phrase: 'a black-and-white' usually means a photo
- grayscale image
technical synonym, common in digital contexts
- colour photograph
for photographic contrast
文法句型
a monochrome of + noun
用法筆記
Countable; takes a plural ('monochromes'). Often appears with 'of + scene noun' to name what the picture shows.