What does "azure" mean?
The clear blue colour of the sky; also, a pigment or dye of this colour.
Azure
/ˈæʒɚ/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The clear blue colour of the sky; also, a pigment or dye of this colour.
- Grammar: azure is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: cerulean, sky-blue, achievement, air.
- Useful contrasts: colorless, orange, red.
- Usage evidence: She had azure hair and a face white as wax. Her eyes were closed and her hands crossed on her breast.
How to use "azure"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "azure" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "azure" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "azure" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "azure" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "azure" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cerulean" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "azure", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The clear blue colour of the sky; also, a pigment or dye of this colour. countable, uncountable
"In robes of azure."
- 2 a light shade of blue wordnet
- 3 A blue colour on a coat of arms, represented in engraving by horizontal parallel lines. countable, uncountable
"Berington of Chester (on the authority of Harleian manuscript No. 1535) is said to bear a plain shield of azure. Personally I doubt this coat of arms […]"
- 4 The unclouded sky; the blue vault above. countable, poetic, uncountable
"Not like those steps / On heaven's azure."
- 5 Any of various widely distributed lycaenid butterflies of the genus Celastrina. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Any of various Australasian lycaenid butterflies of the genus Ogyris. countable, uncountable
- 7 Lapis lazuli. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To colour blue. transitive
"Our readers are aware that much of the sugar sold in many countries goes through an azuring treatment; blue is added to granulated sugar with the view of making it appear whiter than it actually is."
- 2 color azure wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Sky blue; resembling the clear blue colour of the unclouded sky. not-comparable
"When Britain first, at Heaven's command / Arose from out the azure main."
- 2 Cloudless. not-comparable
- 3 In blazon, of the colour blue. not-comparable
"‘I forget your coat of arms.’ ‘A human foot d’or, in a field azure; the foot crushes a serpent rampant whose fangs are imbedded in the heel.’"
Adjective
- 1 of a deep somewhat purplish blue color similar to that of a clear October sky wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"She had azure hair and a face white as wax. Her eyes were closed and her hands crossed on her breast."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "azure"?
Common synonyms include: cerulean, sky-blue, achievement, air, alerion, animal charge.
How do you use "azure" in a sentence?
She had azure hair and a face white as wax. Her eyes were closed and her hands crossed on her breast.
How do you pronounce "azure"?
Pronounced /ˈæʒɚ/.
Etymology
From Middle English asure, from Old French azur, derived from Arabic لَازَوَرْد (lāzaward, “lapis lazuli”), dropping the l as if it were equivalent to the French article l'. The Arabic is from Classical Persian لاجورد (lājward, “lapis lazuli”), from the region of Lajward in Badakhshan. Compare with Italian azzurro and Spanish azul.