Discolour

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To alter the color of an item in such a way that it appears less bright or appealing than its original shade
2. To change the hue of a surface, often resulting in a dull or faded look that differs from its initial vibrancy
3. To make something lose its original coloration and appear faded or stained

Etymology: "Discolour" is a plain compound: the prefix "dis-", meaning apart or away, joined to "colour". The prefix does not simply negate the word the way "un-" does; it signals a departure from the original state. So to discolour something is to move its colour away from what it was, and in practice that usually means dulling, staining or fading it. The word reached English in Middle English from Old French "discolorer" and "descolorer", which were built the same way from Latin "color". The Old French forms show the sense of taking colour away or altering it, and English kept that core meaning. Because the change could be for the worse as well as neutral, the word came to suggest spoiling as much as simply changing hue.

Synonyms: fade, bleach, stain, tarnish, dull

Antonyms: brighten, whiten, clarify