paint

noun

/peɪnt/

jump to other results

[uncountable] a liquid that is put on surfaces to give them a particular colour; a layer of this liquid when it has dried on a surface
- white paint
- gloss/matt/acrylic paint
- The woodwork has recently been given a fresh coat of paint.
- Wet paint! (= used as a sign)
- The paint is starting to peel off.
- The house is desperately in need of a lick of paint (= a new coat of paint).
- We did a quick paint job on the car (= a new coat of paint to make it look better) and hoped the damage wasn't noticeable.
- a can/pot/tin of paint
see also face paint, greasepaint, oil paint, poster paint, spray paint, warpaint
Extra Examples
- The aircraft have been repainted in the original red and black paint scheme.
- The artist has used several layers of paint to create the stormy sky.
- The stove is available in two metallic paint finishes.
Topics Houses and homesa1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- thick
- thin
- fresh
- …
… of paint
- blob
- speck
- splash
- …
verb + paint
- apply
- put on
- spray
- …
paint + verb
- dry
- chip
- flake
- …
paint + noun
- colour/color
- finish
- brush
- …
See full entry
paints
[plural] tubes or blocks of paint used for painting pictures
- oil paints
- an artist working with acrylic paints
Topics Arta2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- thick
- thin
- fresh
- …
… of paint
- blob
- speck
- splash
- …
verb + paint
- apply
- put on
- spray
- …
paint + verb
- dry
- chip
- flake
- …
paint + noun
- colour/color
- finish
- brush
- …
See full entry

Word OriginMiddle English: from peint ‘painted’, past participle of Old French peindre, from Latin pingere ‘to paint’.

paint

verb

/peɪnt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they paint	/peɪnt/ /peɪnt/
he / she / it paints	/peɪnts/ /peɪnts/
past simple painted	/ˈpeɪntɪd/ /ˈpeɪntɪd/
past participle painted	/ˈpeɪntɪd/ /ˈpeɪntɪd/
-ing form painting	/ˈpeɪntɪŋ/ /ˈpeɪntɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

jump to other results

[transitive, often passive] to cover a surface or object with paint
- paint something with something Paint the shed with weather-resistant paint.
- paint something a brightly painted barge
- a freshly painted fence
- have something painted We've had the house painted.
- paint something + adj. The walls were painted yellow.
Collocations Decorating and home improvement
Decorating and home improvementHouses
- refurbish/renovate/ (British English) do up a building/a house
- convert a building/house/room into homes/offices/(especially North American English) apartments/(British English) flats
- extend/enlarge a house/building/room/kitchen
- build (British English) an extension (to the back/rear of a house)/(North American English) an addition (on/to something)/(British English) a conservatory
- knock down/demolish a house/home/building/wall
- knock out/through the wall separating two rooms
Decoration
- furnish/paint/ (especially British English) decorate a home/a house/an apartment/a flat/a room
- be decorated in bright colours/in a traditional style/with flowers/with paintings
- paint/plaster the walls/ceiling
- hang/put up/strip off/remove the wallpaper
- install/replace/remove the bathroom fixtures/(British English) fittings
- build/put up shelves
- lay wooden flooring/timber decking/floor tiles/a carpet/a patio
- put up/hang/take down a picture/painting/poster/curtain
DIY/home improvement
- do (British English) DIY/carpentry/the plumbing/the wiring
- make home improvements
- add/install central heating/underfloor heating/insulation
- fit/install double-glazing/a smoke alarm
- insulate your house/your home/the walls/the pipes/the tanks/(especially British English) the loft
- fix/repair a roof/a leak/a pipe/the plumbing/a leaking (especially British English) tap/(North American English usually) faucet
- block/clog (up)/unblock/unclog a pipe/sink
- make/drill/fill a hole
- hammer (in)/pull out/remove a nail
- tighten/untighten/loosen/remove a screw
- saw/cut/treat/stain/varnish/paint wood
Extra Examples
- Paint the box all over with varnish.
- The walls had been painted very badly.
Topics Houses and homesa1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- carefully
- delicately
- meticulously
- …
preposition
- in
- on
- with
- …
phrases
- freshly painted
- newly painted
- paint something blue, white, etc.
- …
See full entry
[transitive, intransitive] to make a picture or design using paints
- paint something/somebody to paint portraits/pictures
- A friend painted the children for me (= painted a picture of the children).
- paint something on something Slogans had been painted on the walls.
- paint in something She paints in oils.
- paint something in something a portrait painted in oils
- My mother paints well.
- He taught himself to draw and paint.
Collocations Fine arts
Fine artsCreating art
- make a work of art/a drawing/a sketch/a sculpture/a statue/engravings/etchings/prints
- do an oil painting/a self-portrait/a line drawing/a rough sketch
- create a work of art/an artwork/paintings and sculptures
- produce paintings/portraits/oil sketches/his most celebrated work/a series of prints
- paint a picture/landscape/portrait/mural/in oils/in watercolours/(US English) in watercolors/on canvas
- draw a picture/a portrait/a cartoon/a sketch/a line/a figure/the human form/in charcoal/in ink
- sketch a preliminary drawing/a figure/a shape
- carve a figure/an image/a sculpture/an altarpiece/reliefs/a block of wood
- sculpt a portrait bust/a statue/an abstract figure
- etch a line/a pattern/a design/a name into the glass
- mix colours/(US English) colors/pigments/paints
- add/apply thin/thick layers of paint/colour/(US English) color/pigment
- use oil pastels/charcoal/acrylic paint/a can of spray paint
- work in bronze/ceramics/stone/oils/pastels/watercolour/a wide variety of media
Describing art
- paint/depict a female figure/a biblical scene/a pastoral landscape/a domestic interior
- depict/illustrate a traditional/mythological/historical/religious theme
- create an abstract composition/a richly textured surface/a distorted perspective
- paint dark/rich/skin/flesh tones
- use broad brush strokes/loose brushwork/vibrant colours/a limited palette/simple geometric forms
- develop/adopt/paint in a stylized manner/an abstract style
Showing and selling art
- commission an altarpiece/a bronze bust of somebody/a portrait/a religious work/an artist to paint something
- frame a painting/portrait
- hang art/a picture/a painting
- display/exhibit modern art/somebody’s work/a collection/original artwork/drawings/sculptures/a piece/a painting
- be displayed/hung in a gallery/museum
- install/place a sculpture in/at/on something
- erect/unveil a bronze/marble/life-size statue
- hold/host/mount/open/curate/see an exhibition (especially British English)/(North American English usually) an exhibit
- be/go on (British English) exhibition/(North American English) exhibit
- feature/promote/showcase a conceptual artist/contemporary works
- collect African art/modern British paintings/Japanese prints
- restore/preserve a fresco/great works of art
Extra Examples
- a crudely painted human figure
- I like to paint on canvas.
Topics Arta1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- carefully
- delicately
- meticulously
- …
preposition
- in
- on
- with
- …
phrases
- freshly painted
- newly painted
- paint something blue, white, etc.
- …
See full entry
[transitive] to give a particular impression of somebody/something synonym portray
- paint somebody/something as something The article paints them as a bunch of petty criminals.
- paint somebody/something in… The documentary painted her in a bad light.
[transitive] paint something to put coloured make-up on your nails, lips, etc.

Word OriginMiddle English: from peint ‘painted’, past participle of Old French peindre, from Latin pingere ‘to paint’.

Idioms

not as black as he/she/it is painted

not as bad as people say he/she/it is
- He's not very friendly, but he's not as black as he's painted.

paint a (grim, gloomy, rosy, etc.) picture of somebody/something

to describe somebody/something in a particular way; to give a particular impression of somebody/something
- The report paints a vivid picture of life in the city.
- Journalists paint a grim picture of conditions in the camps.
Extra Examples
- He didn't paint a very pretty picture of city life.
- The report paints a dismal picture of the government's economic record.

paint the town red

(informal) to go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc. and enjoy yourself

paint something with a broad brush

to describe something in a general way, ignoring the details