Standard Lemma guide

discolor

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /dɪsˈkhʌlə(ɹ)/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S K AH1 L ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To change or lose color.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, transitive

Examples

  • Washing light laundry with dark may cause your clothes to discolor.
  • A bad enough bruise can discolor the skin.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

change color, often in an undesired manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The shirts discolored

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discolour, colour, color

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

Narrower terms: blush, crimson, flush, redden, pale, blanch, blench, tan, bronze, sunburn, burn, whiten, white, blacken, melanize, melanise, nigrify, black, turn, silver, dye, purple, grey, gray, yellow, tone, green, blue

3

verb

Meaning 3

cause to lose or change color

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The detergent discolored my shirts

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change, alter, modify

Narrower terms: bleach, bleach out, decolor, decolour, decolorize, decolourize, decolorise, decolourise, discolorize, discolourise, discolorise, sallow, wash out, infuscate

4

verb

Meaning 4

lose color or turn colorless

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The painting discolored

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: color

Broader terms: change

Narrower terms: wash out

History

Etymology

From Middle English discoloren, discoloren, from Old French descolorer, discolorer, equivalent to dis- + color.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обезцветя́вам (obezcvetjávam) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Bulgarian: обезцветя́ (obezcvetjá) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Chinese Mandarin: 變色 /变色 (biànsè) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Finnish: värjäytyä — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Finnish: värjääntyä — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • German: sich verfärben — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Ingrian: veerrä — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Japanese: 変色する (henshoku suru) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Russian: обесцве́чиваться (obescvéčivatʹsja) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Russian: обесцве́титься (obescvétitʹsja) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Russian: выцвета́ть (vycvetátʹ) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Russian: вы́цвести (výcvesti) — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Spanish: decolorarse — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Spanish: descolorarse — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Spanish: descolorirse — (intransitive) to change or lose color
  • Finnish: värjätä — (transitive) to change or lose color
  • German: verfärben — (transitive) to change or lose color
  • Russian: обесцве́чивать (obescvéčivatʹ) — (transitive) to change or lose color
  • Russian: обесцве́тить (obescvétitʹ) — (transitive) to change or lose color
  • Spanish: decolorar — (transitive) to change or lose color
  • Spanish: descolorar — (transitive) to change or lose color
  • Spanish: descolorir — (transitive) to change or lose color
Real reading context

discolor in complete knowledge articles