Meaning & use
Kelly's green
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
A bright, vivid shade of green, often associated with the color of a shamrock or a traditional Irish green.
Grammar: Used as a color name; often preceded by 'a' or 'the' when referring to a specific shade, e.g., 'a Kelly's green dress'.
Patterns
- in Kelly's green
- a Kelly's green (something)
She painted the front door in a cheerful Kelly's green.
The team's jerseys were a striking Kelly's green that stood out on the field.
For the St. Patrick's Day parade, many wore Kelly's green hats and scarves.
Common combinations
- Kelly's green dress
- She wore a Kelly's green dress to the spring party.
- Kelly's green paint
- We chose Kelly's green paint for the kitchen cabinets.
- bright Kelly's green
- The artist mixed a bright Kelly's green for the grass.
Synonyms and how they differ
- emerald green
- A slightly bluer, more jewel-toned green; Kelly's green is often more yellow-based and vivid.
- shamrock green
- A similar bright green, but specifically associated with the shamrock symbol; Kelly's green is a broader color term.
Commonly confused: Kelly's green or Kelly green?
Kelly's green vs Kelly green
The more common spelling without the apostrophe-s; 'Kelly's green' is a less frequent variant, but both refer to the same color.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Kelly's green' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'Kelly's green' as a color noun after 'in'. Option 1 is wrong because 'a Kelly's green' would need a noun like 'dress'. Option 2 is awkward; 'a Kelly's green car' is possible but less natural than 'a Kelly-green car'. Option 3 treats it as a countable object, which is incorrect.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Kelly's green”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.