Wednesday, November 18, 2009

The meaning of colors

Here is a table of colors and many of the meanings they tend to evoke. Notice how colors can mean very different things - it is not that the colors themselves have meaning, it is that we have culturally assigned meanings to them. For example, red means warmth because of the color of fire. Likewise, it means anger because of the increased redness of the face when it flushes with blood. Purple symbolizes royalty only because the only purple dye that was available for many centuries was very expensive.

Color Meaning
RED: warmth, love, anger, danger, boldness, excitement, speed, strength, determination, desire, courage
ORANGE: cheerfulness, low cost, affordability, enthusiasm, stimulation, creativity
YELLOW: attention-grabbing, comfort, liveliness, cowardliness, hunger, optimism, overwhelm, Summer, comfort, liveliness, intellect, happiness, energy
GREEN: durability, reliability, environmental, luxurious, optimism, well-being, nature, calm, relaxation, Spring, safety, honesty, optimism, harmony, freshness
BLUE: peace, professionalism, loyalty, reliability, honor, melancholia, boredom, coldness, Winter, depth, stability, professionalism, honor, trust
PURPLE: power, royalty, nobility, elegance, sophistication, artificial, luxury, mystery, royalty, elegance, magic
GRAY: conservatism, traditionalism, intelligence, serious, dull, uninteresting
BROWN: relaxing, confident, casual, reassuring, nature, earthy, solid, reliable, genuine, Autumn, endurance
BLACK: Elegance, sophistication, formality, power, strength, illegality, depression, morbidity, night
WHITE: Cleanliness, purity, newness, virginity, peace, innocence, simplicity, sterility, snow


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