Meaning & use
tinge
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Meanings
nounsingular
A small amount of a color, feeling, or quality that can be seen or felt in something.
Grammar: Usually singular with an and of: a tinge of red.
Patterns
- a tinge of something
The sky had a tinge of pink at sunset.
There was a tinge of sadness in her voice.
He felt a tinge of jealousy when he saw the gift.
verbtransitive
To add a slight color to something, or to affect it with a small amount of a feeling or quality.
Grammar: Takes an object, often in the passive with with: tinged with gold.
Patterns
- tinge something with something
- be tinged with something
The autumn light tinged the leaves with gold.
His praise was tinged with envy.
Her smile was tinged with regret.
Word forms
| plural | tinges |
|---|---|
| third person singular | tinges |
| past tense | tinged |
| past participle | tinged |
| -ing form | tingeing or tinging |
Common combinations
- a tinge of sadness
- The farewell had a tinge of sadness.
- a tinge of red
- The leaves had a tinge of red.
- tinged with regret
- Her words were tinged with regret.
- a tinge of envy
- I felt a tinge of envy at their success.
- a slight tinge
- The water had a slight tinge of green.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hint
- Hint is a general word for a small sign of something and is not limited to colors or feelings.
- trace
- Trace suggests a very small remaining amount, while tinge suggests a faint coloring that you notice in the whole.
- touch
- Touch is a more everyday word for a small amount and sounds less literary.
- shade
- Shade refers to a variety of one color, whereas tinge is a small amount of a color mixed into something else.
Word family
Commonly confused: tinge or twinge?
tinge vs twinge
A twinge is a brief sharp pain or feeling, as in a twinge of guilt. A tinge is a slight trace of color or quality.
Practice
The victory speech was ___ with sadness because the team's captain was absent.
Choose one answer.
Tinged with means slightly touched by a feeling. Soaked and filled suggest too large an amount, and painted does not collocate with sadness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tinge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.