Word forms: comparative bluer, superlative bluest, plural blues
1. colour
Something that is blue is the colour of the sky on a sunny day.
There were swallows in the cloudless blue sky.
She fixed her pale blue eyes on her father's.
...colourful blues and reds.
2. plural noun
The blues is a type of music which was developed by African American musicians in the southern United States. It is characterized by a slow tempo and a strong rhythm.
His singing really does have the depth and the emotional range of the blues.
...the blues bars of Chicago.
3. plural noun
If you have got the blues, you feel sad and depressed.
[informal]
He's been suffering from the blues since losing his job.
4. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If you are feeling blue, you are feeling sad or depressed, often when there is no particular reason.
[informal]
There's no earthly reason for me to feel so blue.
Synonyms: depressed, low, sad, unhappy More Synonyms of blue
5. countable noun [usually supplement NOUN]
A Cambridge blue or an Oxford blue is a man or woman who has played for Cambridge or Oxford University in a particularsport.
[British]
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Blue films, stories, or jokes are about sex.
...a secret stash of porn mags and blue movies.
Synonyms: smutty, dirty, naughty, obscene More Synonyms of blue
7.
See out of the blue
8. bolt from the blue
9. blue moon
10. blue murder
More Synonyms of blue
blue in British English
(bluː)
noun
1.
any of a group of colours, such as that of a clear unclouded sky, that have wavelengths in the range 490–445 nanometres. Blue is the complementary colour of yellow and with red and green forms a set of primary colours
▶ Related adjective: cyanic
2.
a dye or pigment of any of these colours
3.
blue cloth or clothing
dressed in blue
4.
a.
a person who represents or has represented Oxford or Cambridge University in a sport and has the right to wear the university colour (dark bluefor Oxford, light blue for Cambridge)
an Oxford blue
b.
the honour of so representing one's university
5. British an informal name for Tory
6.
any of numerous small blue-winged butterflies of the genera Lampides, Polyommatus, etc: family Lycaenidae
7. archaic short for bluestocking
8. slang
a police officer
9. archery
a blue ring on a target, between the red and the black, scoring five points
10.
a blue ball in snooker, etc
11. another name for blueing
12. Australian and New Zealand slang
an argument or fight
he had a blue with a taxi driver
13. Also: bluey Australian and New Zealand slang
a court summons, esp for a traffic offence
14. Australian and New Zealand informal
a mistake; error
15. out of the blue
16. into the blue
adjectiveWord forms: bluer or bluest
17.
of the colour blue
18.
(of the flesh) having a purple tinge, as from cold or contusion
19.
depressed, moody, or unhappy
20.
dismal or depressing
a blue day
21.
indecent, titillating, or pornographic
blue films
22.
bluish in colour or having parts or marks that are bluish
a blue fox
a blue whale
23. rare
aristocratic; noble; patrician
a blue family
blue blood
24. US
relating to, supporting, or representing the Democratic Party
Compare red1 (sense 18)
verbWord forms: blues, blueing, bluing or blued
25.
to make, dye, or become blue
26. (transitive)
to treat (laundry) with blueing
27. (transitive) slang
to spend extravagantly or wastefully; squander
Derived forms
bluely (ˈbluely)
adverb
blueness (ˈblueness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old French bleu, of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse blār, Old High German blāo, Middle Dutch blā; related to Latin flāvus yellow
Blue in British English
(bluː) or Bluey
noun
Australian informal
a nickname for a person with red hair
blue in American English
(blu)
adjective
1.
having the color of the clear sky or the deep sea
2.
having a bluish cast or tinge
3.
livid
said of the skin
4.
sad and gloomy; depressed or depressing
5.
balefully murky
the air was blue with oaths
6.
puritanical; rigorous
7.
wearing blue garments
Blue Nuns
8. Informal
indecent; risqué; suggestive
noun
9.
the color of the clear sky or the deep sea; any color between green and violet in the spectrum
10.
any blue pigment or dye
11.
bluing
12.
anything colored blue, as the third circle of an archer's target
13.
a.
blue clothing
b. [oftenB-]
a person or group wearing a blue uniform
c. US; [oftenB-]
a Union soldier
d. [pl.]
a sailor's blue uniform
14.
bluestocking
15. US
bluefish
16.
blueline
usually used in pl.
verb transitive, verb intransitiveWord forms: blued, ˈbluing or ˈblueing
17.
to make or become blue
Idioms:
out of the blue
the blue
Word origin
ME & OFr bleu < Frank *blao < IE base *bhlē-wos, light-colored, blue, blond, yellow > L flavus, yellow, Brythonic blawr, gray, OE blæwen, blue, Ger blau; (sense 3) infl. by ME blo < ON blā, livid
More idioms containing
blue
someone can do something until they are blue in the face
be between the devil and the deep blue sea
a bolt from the blue
out of the blue
black and blue
out of a clear blue sky
talk a blue streak
light the blue touch paper
into the wide blue yonder
once in a blue moon
scream blue murder
Examples of 'blue' in a sentence
blue
One had blue eyes and blond hair and spoke with a northern accent.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
One was blue and white plaid and the second was dark blue with red dots.
The Sun (2016)
Symptoms include red and blue spots and instant hair loss.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Dark navy and sky blue both look chic teamed with greys and silvers to add a touch of class.
The Sun (2017)
And they were not wearing blue.
The Sun (2016)
When the plants were placed in bright light, their blue colour slowly disappeared.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Also available in green, blue and white.
The Sun (2016)
Looks it was clear blue sighs all round yesterday, then.
The Sun (2016)
Songs were picked from pop, rock, rap and rhythm and blues.
The Sun (2016)
THEY love their local heroes in Merseyside derbies - and they have been waiting long enough for one in a blue shirt.
The Sun (2016)
But the blues often comes in disguise.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
Why feel the blues when you can shake them off by singing the blues?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The verdict is in from the blue corner.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The photograph has made the clouds look very cold and blue.
Crawshaw, Alwyn Crawshaw's Watercolour Studio (1993)
They are true heroes in pale blue aprons.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Did she really wear a blue hat at the dispatch box?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The blue shirt is a wonderful thing for all players.
The Sun (2012)
Eye shadow colours that would really suit you are pale blue or purple.
The Sun (2012)
She is wearing a rather regal navy blue dress and strappy sandals.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The blue also makes your teeth look whiter.
The Sun (2009)
This scandal did not come out of a clear blue sky.
The Sun (2006)
Behind was a cloudless blue sky that should have had a paint colour named after it.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But a gradual return to rhythm and blues in recent years has brought about an unexpected renaissance.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They were mostly tarred up to the top planks and then painted blue or white.
Max Arthur Lost Voices of the Edwardians: 19011910 in the words of the Men & Women Who WereThere (2006)
And the fanatical home support will be wearing blue instead of red.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
She was wearing a blue dress and cream cardigan.
Christianity Today (2000)
The bait can be dyed blue to put off sea birds.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
One small blue box is rather disappointing.
The Sun (2011)
Many had nails painted green and blue.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The very colour of blue jeans has become invisible.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
They claim those feeling blue are less likely to exercise and more likely to smoke.
The Sun (2014)
The scary thing is that this anger has erupted out of a largely clear blue sky.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We spent a great day experimenting with yellow and dark blue around my eyes and on my nails.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Apply lightly for a sheer shimmer or layer it on generously for an opaque icy blue colour to brighten eyes.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
When did you first get to hear blues and rock music from outside Africa?
The Sun (2011)
In other languages
blue
British English: blue /bluː/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is blue is the colour of the sky on a sunny day.
There were swallows in the cloudless blue sky.
American English: blue
Arabic: أَزْرَق
Brazilian Portuguese: azul
Chinese: 蓝色的
Croatian: plav
Czech: modrý
Danish: blå
Dutch: blauw
European Spanish: azul
Finnish: sininen
French: bleu couleur
German: blau
Greek: γαλάζιος
Italian: blu
Japanese: 青い
Korean: 파란
Norwegian: blå
Polish: niebieski
European Portuguese: azul
Romanian: albastru
Russian: голубой
Latin American Spanish: azul
Swedish: blå
Thai: สีฟ้า
Turkish: mavi
Ukrainian: синій
Vietnamese: xanh da trời
All related terms of 'blue'
baby-blue
in a pastel shade of blue
bice blue
a medium blue colour; azurite
blue baby
A blue baby is a baby whose skin is slightly blue because it has been born with something wrong with its heart.
blue bag
a fabric bag for a barrister's robes
blue book
A blue book is an official government report or register of statistics .
blue box
a blue plastic container for domestic refuse that is to be collected and recycled
Blue Boy
→ the Blue Boy
blue buck
a large blue-haired antelope , Hippotragus leucophaeus , of southern Africa: extinct since 1800
blue chip
Blue chip stocks and shares are an investment which are considered fairly safe to invest in while also being profitable .
blue cod
a common marine spiny-finned food fish, Parapercis colias, of the sub-Antarctic waters of New Zealand, esp at the Chatham Islands, which is greenish blue with brown marbling and inhabits rocky bottoms . Its smoked flesh is considered a delicacy
blue crab
any of a genus ( Callinectes ) of crabs , esp. a blue-legged, edible swimming species ( C. sapidus ) of the Atlantic coast of North America
blue duck
a mountain duck , Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos , of New Zealand having a mostly lead-blue plumage
blue-eyed
having blue eyes
Blue Flag
an award given to a seaside resort that meets EU standards of cleanliness of beaches and purity of water in bathing areas
blue flu
a sickout, esp. by policemen
blue fox
a variety of the arctic fox that has a pale grey winter coat and is bred for its fur
blue funk
a state of great terror or loss of nerve
blue gum
a tall fast-growing widely cultivated Australian myrtaceous tree, Eucalyptus globulus , having aromatic leaves containing a medicinal oil, bark that peels off in shreds , and hard timber . The juvenile leaves are bluish in colour
blue ice
the oldest and densest ice in a glacier , distinguished by a pale-blue color
blue jay
a common , crested North American jay (Cyanocitta cristata ) with a blue upper body and head
blue john
a blue or purple fibrous variety of fluorspar occurring only in Derbyshire : used for vases , etc
blue law
any of the strict puritanical laws prevalent in colonial New England
blue laws
a number of repressive puritanical laws of the colonial period, forbidding any secular activity on Sundays
blue lias
a type of rock composed of alternating layers of bluish shale or clay and grey argillaceous limestone
blue line
either of the two blue lines, parallel to the goal lines, that divide an ice hockey rink into three zones
blue mold
any of various species of a fungus (genus Penicillium ) that produce bluish masses of spores : some species yield penicillin and some are used to ripen certain cheeses
blue moon
If you say that something happens once in a blue moon , you are emphasizing that it does not happen very often at all.
Blue Nile
a river in E Africa , rising in central Ethiopia as the Abbai and flowing southeast , then northwest to join the White Nile . Length: about 1530 km (950 miles)
blue note
a flattened third or seventh , used frequently in the blues
blue roan
a horse having a black coat sprinkled with white hairs
Blue Rod
officer of the Order of St Michael and St George
blue run
an easy run , suitable for beginners
blue sea
The sea is the salty water that covers about three-quarters of the Earth's surface.
blue-sky
of or denoting theoretical research without regard to any future application of its result
blue tit
A blue tit is a small European bird with a blue head , wings , and tail , and a yellow front .
blue vein
Australian and New Zealand → another name for blue cheese
half-blue
(at Oxford and Cambridge universities) a person who substitutes for a full blue or who represents the university in a minor sport
ice blue
Ice-blue is a very pale blue colour.
icy blue
of a very pale blue colour
navy blue
a dark blue colour
Nile blue
a pale greenish-blue colour
saxe blue
a light greyish-blue colour
sky blue
Something that is sky-blue is a very pale blue in colour.
the blue
the sky
true blue
If you describe someone as true-blue , you mean that they are right-wing in their ideas and opinions .
blue-on-blue
of or relating to friendly fire
blue alert
an alert following the first, or yellow, alert, in which air attack seems probable
Blue Angel
→ The Blue Angel
blue badge
a blue-coloured badge issued to disabled drivers for display on their windscreens , indicating entitlement to specific parking privileges
blue beret
an informal name for a soldier of a United Nations peacekeeping force
Chinese translation of 'blue'
blue
(bluː)
adj
(in colour) 蓝(藍)色的 (lánsè de)
(inf, = depressed) 抑郁(鬱)的 (yìyù de)
⇒ There's no reason for me to feel so blue.我不知道为什么感到这么抑郁。 (Wǒ bù zhīdào wèishénme gǎndào zhème yìyù.)
n(u)
蓝(藍)色 (lánsè)
blue movie/joke色情电(電)影/笑话(話) (sèqíng diànyǐng/xiàohuà)
(only) once in a blue moon(仅(僅)是)难(難)得的一次 ((jǐn shì) nándé de yī cì)
out of the blue意料之外 (yìliào zhī wài)
Derived Forms
bluesn pl
(Mus): the blues蓝(藍)调(調) (lándiào)
(inf, = depression): to have the blues感到抑郁(鬱) (gǎndào yìyù)
All related terms of 'blue'
blue tit
蓝(藍)山雀 lánshānquè [ 只 zhī ]
blue cheese
蓝(藍)奶酪 lánnǎilào
black and blue
( bruised ) 青一块(塊)，紫一块(塊)的 qīng yīkuài, zǐ yīkuài de
blue movie/joke
色情电(電)影/笑话(話) sèqíng diànyǐng/xiàohuà
dark blue/green
深蓝(藍)色/绿(綠)色 shēnlán sè/lǜsè
out of the blue
意料之外 yìliào zhī wài
pale blue/pink/green
淡蓝(藍)色/粉红(紅)色/绿(綠)色 dàn lánsè/fěnhóngsè/lǜsè
a bolt from the blue
晴天霹雳(靂) qíngtiān pīlì
once in a blue moon
千载(載)难(難)逢 qiān zǎi nán féng ⇒ Once in a blue moon you get some problems. → 偶尔你也碰到一些麻烦。 Ǒu'er nǐ yě pèngdào yīxiē máfan.
against a blue background
衬(襯)着(著)蓝(藍)色的背景 chènzhe lánsè de bèijǐng
to turn green/blue etc
变(變)绿(綠)/蓝(藍) 等 biàn lǜ/lán děng
it comes in blue or green
蓝(藍)色或绿(綠)色的有现(現)货(貨) lánsè huò lǜsè de yǒu xiànhuò
navy
the boy in the blue shirt
穿蓝(藍)衬(襯)衫的男孩儿(兒) chuān lán chènshān de nánhái'r
a tall woman, dressed in blue
一位身穿蓝(藍)衣的高个(個)女子 yī wèi shēnchuān lányī de gāogè nǚzǐ
戴着(著)灰帽子/有蓝(藍)眼睛的男人 dàizhe huī màozi/yǒu lán yǎnjing de nánrén
he has or he has got blue eyes/dark hair
他长(長)着(著)蓝(藍)眼睛/黑头(頭)发(髮) tā zhǎngzhe lán yǎnjing/hēi tóufa
(only) once in a blue moon
(仅(僅)是)难(難)得的一次 (jǐn shì) nándé de yī cì
1 (adjective)
Definition
depressed or unhappy
There's no earthly reason for me to feel so blue.
Synonyms
depressed
He seemed somewhat depressed.
low
`I didn't ask for this job, you know,' he tells friends when he is low.
sad
The loss left me feeling sad and empty.
unhappy
Her boss is horrible and she is desperately unhappy.
fed up
I'm fed up and don't know what to do.
gloomy
He is gloomy about the fate of the economy.
dismal
You can't occupy yourself with dismal thoughts all the time.
melancholy
It was at this time of day that I felt most melancholy.
glum
What are you both looking so glum about?
dejected
Everyone has days when they feel dejected or down.
despondent
He often felt despondent after these meetings.
downcast
a glum, downcast expression
down in the dumps (informal)
down in the mouth
low-spirited
He was low-spirited, disappointed and out of humour.
down-hearted
Opposites
happy
,
optimistic
,
sunny
,
cheerful
,
jolly
,
merry
,
cheery
,
genial
,
elated
,
chirpy (informal)
,
blithe
2 (adjective)
Definition
pornographic
(old-fashioned)
blue movies
Synonyms
smutty
She said she detested smutty jokes.
dirty
He laughed at their dirty jokes.
naughty
a comedy routine crammed with naughty innuendo
obscene
I'm no prude, but I think these photos are obscene.
indecent
She accused him of making indecent suggestions.
vulgar
a TV show well known for its vulgar jokes
lewd
The embattled mayor apologized for making lewd remarks to reporters.
risqué
a cheeky comment or a risqué suggestion
X-rated (informal)
bawdy
We got arrested once, for singing bawdy songs in a cemetery.
near the knuckle (informal)
Opposites
decent
,
respectable
(plural noun)
My friend has moved away and it's given me the blues.
Synonyms
depression
gloom
melancholy
unhappiness
despondency
the hump (British, informal)
dejection
moodiness
low spirits
the dumps (informal)
the doldrums
gloominess
glumness
related words
related adjectivecyanic
subject word lists
See Shades of blue
figurative note
Blue has developed many figurative meanings in English. The colour of the sky in nature, blue has come to symbolize constancy and lack of change, leading to the phrase true-blue, meaning staunch, as applied to members of the Scottish Whig party in the 17th century and now applied to British Conservatives. In Australia, true blue means genuine. Blue denotes right-wing in Britain, from the choice of this colour to represent the Conservative party. It refers to the aristocracy in the phrase blue-blood, but to manual workers in the phrase blue-collar. Blue-collar stems from the dress codes of these industries, where traditionally shirts had to be made of a durable material and non-staining colour. Against appearances, in Australia bluey is a slang term for someone with red hair. Though its origins are not certain, blue has become associated with pornography, as in the phrase blue movies. This may derive from so-called `blue laws' which promoted morality in the 18th century United States by restricting activities such as drinking and gaming. Blue is also related to depression and low spirits, especially appearing in the plural form the blues. This is also the name of a style of melancholy music.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bawdy
Definition
(of language, writing, etc.) containing humorous references to sex
We got arrested once, for singing bawdy songs in a cemetery.
Synonyms
rude,
blue (old-fashioned),
dirty,
gross,
crude,
erotic,
obscene,
coarse,
filthy,
indecent,
vulgar,
improper,
steamy (informal),
pornographic,
raunchy (informal),
suggestive,
racy,
lewd,
risqué,
X-rated (informal),
salacious (formal),
prurient (formal),
lascivious (formal),
smutty,
lustful,
lecherous,
ribald,
libidinous (formal),
licentious (formal),
indelicate,
near the knuckle (informal),
indecorous (formal)
in the sense of dejected
Definition
in low spirits
Everyone has days when they feel dejected or down.