assorted

assorted — adjective

1. made up of several different sorts, sizes, or colours grouped together in one se

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

made up of several different sorts, sizes, or colours grouped together in one set, packet, or container.

Example

Grandma brought a tin of assorted biscuits to share after dinner.

attributive: assorted + plural noun

The flower shop sells bouquets of assorted roses in pink, white, and yellow.

collocation: assorted colours/flowers

Common collocations
  • assorted chocolates
  • assorted colours
  • assorted sizes
  • assorted flavours
  • a box of assorted
  • assorted biscuits
Synonyms
  • mixed

    more everyday and broader; works after a verb too (the nuts are mixed)

  • varied

    stresses the range of differences rather than being grouped in one pack

  • miscellaneous

    more formal; suggests items thrown together with no clear theme

Antonyms
  • uniform

    all of one kind, with no variation

  • matching

    deliberately the same in style, colour, or size

Grammar Patterns

assorted + plural noun

Usage Note

Almost always used before a plural or uncountable noun (assorted cookies, assorted fruit). Rarely placed after a linking verb — say 'a box of assorted candies', not 'the candies are assorted'.

Common Mistakes

I bought an assorted chocolate.
I bought a box of assorted chocolates.
the noun after 'assorted' must be plural or uncountable, since the word implies more than one type.
These cakes are assorted.
There is an assorted selection of cakes.
'assorted' sits before the noun, not after a linking verb.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words point to a group of things of different kinds, but they fit different scenes. 'Assorted' is the label you see on shop packaging — a deliberately put-together pack of one product type in different flavours, colours, or sizes (assorted chocolates, assorted biscuits). 'Mixed' is the everyday choice and is far more flexible: it works before a noun (a mixed salad) and after a verb (the feelings were mixed). 'Varied' highlights the richness of the range itself rather than the act of packing them together — a varied diet, a varied programme. 'Miscellaneous' is more formal and slightly negative, suggesting odds and ends with no clear theme — a drawer of miscellaneous papers. So you would buy 'assorted nuts' at a shop, eat a 'mixed' bag of feelings about something, enjoy a 'varied' menu, and tidy up 'miscellaneous' clutter.

assorted ↗mixed ↗varied ↗miscellaneous ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • chocolates
  • biscuits
  • cookies
  • colours
  • sizes
  • flavours
  • fruits
  • nuts
  • snacks
  • vegetables

Phrases

  • a box of assorted chocolates
  • an assorted selection
  • assorted shapes and sizes

Prepositions

  • of (a box/bag/tin of assorted ...)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from the verb 'assort', meaning to sort items into groups by kind. 'Assort' was borrowed into English in the late 1400s from Old French 'assorter', built from 'a-' (to) and 'sorte' (kind, sort), which traces back to Latin 'sors' meaning 'lot' or 'share'. The past-participle adjective form 'assorted' grew common from the 1700s, especially in shop and trade language for mixed packs of goods.