The Meaning of the Color Blue

Blue is calming. It can be strong and steadfast or light and friendly. Almost everyone likes some shade of the color blue.

Pantone has selected the color Blue Iris (PANTONE 18-3943) as the 2008 Color of the Year telling us: "Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement."

In many diverse cultures blue is significant in religious beliefs, brings peace, or is believed to keep the bad spirits away.

Blue conveys importance and confidence without being somber or sinister, hence the blue power suit of the corporate world and the blue uniforms of police officers. Long considered a corporate color, blue, especially darker blue, is associated with intelligence, stability, unity, and conservatism.

Explore more Dark Blue Color Meanings.

Just as seeing red alludes to the strong emotions invoked by the color red, feeling blue or getting the blues represents the extremes of the calm feelings associated with blue, i.e. sadness or depression, lack of strong (violent) emotion. Dark blue is sometimes seen as staid or stodgy — old-fashioned.

In Iran, blue is the color of mourning while in the West the something blue bridal tradition represents love.

People describe How the color blue makes them feel

Mix the color of blue with green for a natural, watery palette. Add gray for understated elegance.

Sky blue and robin's egg blue, especially when combined with neutral light brown, tans, or beige are environmentally friendly color combinations.

Throw in a dash of blue to cool down a hot red or orange scheme. Grab attention with the contrast of blue and yellow.

These blue color palettes feature shades of blue combined with gray, orange, peach, purple, and earthy browns as well as palettes with multiple blues.

This selection of Dark Blue Color Palettes feature 2, 3, 4, and 5 color combinations centered around dark shades of blue such as Navy, Dark Slate Blue, and Dark Cyan.

The use of blue in familiar phrases can help a designer see how their color of choice might be perceived by others, both the positive and negative aspects.

Good blue True blue - someone loyal and faithful Out of the blue - unexpected (could be positive or negative) Blue ribbon - first rate, top prize Blueblood - person of noble birth, royalty Bluestocking - well-read or scholarly woman Bluebook - register of socially prominent people The Blues (capitalized) - popular style of music sometimes characterized by melancholy melodies and words Baby blues - Blue eyes (also see Bad blue words) Bad blue Feeling blue - feeling sad or depressed Blue devils - feelings of depression The blues (not capitalized) - depression, state of sadness Blue Monday - feeling sad Baby blues - post-partum depression Singing the blues - bemoaning one's circumstances Blue laws - laws originally intended to enforce certain moral standards Blue language - profanity Bluenose - puritanical individual Into the blue - entering the unknown or escape to parts unknown Out of the blue - unexpected (could be positive or negative)

Blue Words: These words are synonymous with blue or represent various shades of the color blue.

Sapphire, azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal, sky blue, baby blue, robin's egg blue, cyan, cornflower blue, midnight blue, slate, steel blue, Prussian blue.

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