Meaning & use
vertical stripes
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Meaning
nounplural
Long bands of color or pattern running up and down, rather than across, a surface such as clothing, a wall or a flag.
Grammar: Plural: vertical stripes look striking on a shirt.
Patterns
- vertical stripes on something
- a shirt with vertical stripes
She wore a dress with navy vertical stripes.
The designer painted vertical stripes on the wall to make the room feel taller.
The team's jersey has red and white vertical stripes.
Word forms
| singular | vertical stripe |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear vertical stripes
- He rarely wears vertical stripes because he prefers plain shirts.
- bold vertical stripes
- The curtains had bold vertical stripes in green and gold.
- thin vertical stripes
- A suit with thin vertical stripes looks formal.
- vertical stripes on a wall
- Vertical stripes on a wall can make a ceiling look higher.
- black and white vertical stripes
- The referee's shirt had black and white vertical stripes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pinstripes
- Pinstripes are very thin vertical lines, usually on formal suits, while vertical stripes can be any width.
- bands
- Bands can run in any direction, whereas vertical stripes always run up and down.
- streaks
- Streaks are irregular marks, but stripes are regular and deliberate.
- lines
- Lines is a general word and does not suggest a repeating colored pattern.
Opposites
Word family
- stripe noun
- a long narrow band of color
- striped adjective
- having stripes
- stripy adjective
- British, informal word for striped
- vertically adverb
- in an up-and-down direction
Commonly confused: vertical stripes or vertical vs horizontal?
vertical stripes vs vertical vs horizontal
Vertical runs up and down like a flagpole, while horizontal runs side to side like the horizon.
Practice
The stylist said ___ would make the narrow hallway feel taller.
Choose one answer.
Stripes that run up and down draw the eye upward and make a space seem taller. Horizontal stripes tend to make it seem wider instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vertical stripes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.