French word

taupe

Pronunciation

IPA/top/

Meaning

  • adjectivegrayish-brown

Example

J'ai acheté une robe taupe.

I bought a grayish-brown dress.

Illustration for taupe (grayish-brown)

More examples

Le pull taupe va avec tout.

The taupe sweater goes with everything.

Core concept

A soft, muted shade sitting between gray and brown, like a mole's coat.

Common phrases

  • une veste taupe

    taupe jacket

  • un sac taupe

    taupe bag

  • un pull taupe

    taupe sweater

Similar words

gris: A pure gray shade that ranges from light to dark.
brun: A deep brown shade with a warm tone.
beige: A light brown shade with a yellowish tone.
marron: A fairly deep, dark brown shade with a subdued tone.

Definition in French

Décrit une teinte neutre située entre le gris et le brun, proche de la couleur du pelage de la taupe.

Word origin

French taupe comes from Latin talpa through Old French and extended from the animal's name to its brown-gray fur and then to the color.

Usage tips

  • As a color adjective, taupe is usually invariable, so both une robe taupe and des robes taupe are standard.

Other meanings

  • molenoun

Opposites

  • colorécolorfuladjective
  • vifvividadjective

Word lists with this word