What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the prefix des- (undoing/removal) and colorido (colored/colorful).
Which one should you use?
While descolorido is a way to say faded or discolored, you might use other terms depending on the specific cause: deslavado/a is used for objects or clothes that have lost color due to frequent washing or sunlight exposure and means 'washed out' or 'bleached'. For a formal way to describe fabrics or textiles that have faded due to exposure to sunlight or harsh chemicals, you can use decolorado/a.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, the form must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, changing from descolorido to descolorida for feminine nouns. The adjective also takes the plural endings '-os' or '-as' to agree with plural nouns, such as descoloridos for masculine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/deskoloˈɾido/
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, descolorido can be used metaphorically to describe a boring or monotonous event, similar to saying something is 'drab' in English.
- While descolorido describes a loss of color, the related verb descolorar can also be used metaphorically in literature to describe a person's face turning pale due to fear or shock.
- While English uses 'discolored' for both stains and fading, Spanish distinguishes between descolorido for fading and manchado for discoloration caused by a stain.
Examples in context
- Está un poco descolorido.It's a bit discolored.Tatoeba #8540178 by diegohn, translation #8542747 by lunchmeat317
- La camiseta blanca está descolorida después de muchos lavados.The white t-shirt is discolored after many washes.
- El pelo decolorado le da un aspecto moderno y juvenil.The bleached hair gives him a modern and youthful look.
- El papel se ve descolorido por el sol.The paper looks discolored from the sun.
- Ese mantel azul está descolorido.That blue tablecloth is discolored.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry descolorido, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
