What does "indigo" mean?
A purplish-blue color.
Indigo
/ˈɪndɪˌɡoʊ/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A purplish-blue color.
- Grammar: indigo is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: indigo plant, anil, blae, blue.
- Useful contrasts: bright, colorless, colorless dye.
- Usage evidence: Jeans manufacturers make denim bluer with indigo dye.
How to use "indigo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "indigo" 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 "indigo" 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 "indigo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "indigo" 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 "indigo" is acting as adj, name, noun 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 "indigo plant" 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 "indigo", 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 A purplish-blue color. countable, uncountable
"The night was considerably clearer than anybody on board her desired when the schooner Ventura headed for the land. It rose in places, black and sharp against the velvety indigo, over her dipping bow, though most of the low littoral was wrapped in obscurity."
- 2 a blue-violet color wordnet
- 3 An indigo-colored dye obtained from certain plants (indigo plant or woad), or a similar synthetic dye. countable, uncountable
- 4 deciduous subshrub of southeastern Asia having pinnate leaves and clusters of red or purple flowers; a source of indigo dye wordnet
- 5 An indigo plant, such as from species in genera Indigofera, Amorpha (false indigo), Baptisia (wild indigo), and Psorothamnus and Dalea (indigo bush). countable, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically wordnet
Adjective
- 1 having a deep purplish-blue colour
Adjective
- 1 having a color between blue and violet wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A local government area in north-east Victoria, Australia, named after Indigo Valley; in full, the Shire of Indigo.
- 2 A female given name.
"Details of Thunberg’s charge came as Just Stop Oil said its cofounders, Indigo Rumbelow and Roger Hallam, were arrested on Wednesday morning following dawn raids at their homes."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Jeans manufacturers make denim bluer with indigo dye."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "indigo"?
Common synonyms include: indigo plant, anil, blae, blue, blue dye, blue violet.
How do you use "indigo" in a sentence?
Jeans manufacturers make denim bluer with indigo dye.
How do you pronounce "indigo"?
Pronounced /ˈɪndɪˌɡoʊ/.
Etymology
16th century (as indico, modern spelling from the 17th century), Spanish índigo, Portuguese endego (modern índigo), or Dutch (via Portuguese) indigo, all from Latin indicum (“indigo”), from Ancient Greek ἰνδικόν (indikón, “Indian dye”), from Ἰνδία (Indía). Doublet of Indic.