brunette

brunette — adjective

1. dark brown in shade, especially when talking about hair or hair pieces

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

dark brown in shade, especially when talking about hair or hair pieces

Example

The actress wore a long brunette wig in the school play.

collocation: brunette wig

The baby doll has large green eyes and soft brunette hair.

Common collocations
  • brunette hair
  • brunette wig
  • brunette curls
  • brunette bob
Synonyms
  • dark-brown

    a general colour word, not mainly used for hair descriptions

  • brown

    broader and less exact; it may be lighter than brunette

  • chestnut

    often suggests a warmer or slightly reddish brown

Antonyms
  • blonde

    describes very light yellow hair

  • red-haired

    describes hair that is red or orange in tone

Grammar Patterns

brunette + hair noun

Usage Note

Usually placed before words such as hair, wig, curls, or bob. Distinguish from adjective sense 2, which describes the person rather than the hair item itself.

Common Mistakes

The shop sold a brunette.
The shop sold a brunette wig.
In this sense, brunette must describe hair or a hair item.

2. used for a person whose hair is deep brown, often a woman or girl

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

used for a person whose hair is deep brown, often a woman or girl

Example

The brunette singer waved to fans outside the hotel.

adjective + person noun

At the door stood a tall brunette woman with a silver case.

Common collocations
  • brunette woman
  • brunette actress
  • brunette child
  • brunette singer
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • blonde

    describes someone with very light hair

  • red-haired

    describes someone whose hair is red or orange

Grammar Patterns

be brunette

brunette + person noun

Usage Note

Often appears before a person noun, and it can also come after be in simple descriptions. Distinguish from noun sense 1: this sense describes another noun, while the noun names the person directly.

Common Mistakes

My cousin has brunette.
My cousin is brunette.' / 'My cousin has brunette hair.
Use brunette to describe the person or the hair, not as a thing by itself.

brunette — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

For describing a person, brunette is more specific than dark-haired and more stylish than brown-haired. Brunette usually points to dark brown hair and is common in fashion, film, and appearance talk. Brown-haired is the plain everyday choice, with no special tone. Dark-haired is wider: it can describe brown hair, but it may also include black hair, so it is less exact. Chestnut-haired is narrower and more literary; it suggests a warm brown shade with a hint of red. Compare: 'The new doctor is brunette' focuses on her dark brown hair. 'The new doctor is dark-haired' tells you only that her hair is dark.

brown-haired ↗dark-haired ↗chestnut-haired

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

English borrowed brunette from French. In French, it is the feminine form of brun, a word meaning brown or dark. English first used it as a noun for a woman with dark brown hair, and later also used it as an adjective for hair or for a person with that hair colour.