Blue vs. Indigo — What’s the Difference? (2024)

Blue

Blue is a primary color in the visible spectrum.

The sky is blue.

Indigo

Indigo is a color between blue and violet in the visible spectrum.

The twilight sky turned indigo.

Blue

In mood, blue means feeling sad or depressed.

He's been feeling blue lately.

Indigo

Indigo is a plant used for a blue dye.

Indigo was a major crop in colonial America.

Blue

In politics, blue represents the Democratic Party in the United States.

California is a blue state.

Indigo

In literature, "Indigo children" refers to kids believed to possess special traits or abilities.

She claims to be an Indigo child.

Blue

In idioms, "out of the blue" means unexpectedly.

The news came out of the blue.

Indigo

In spirituality, indigo is often linked to the third eye chakra.

Meditation may activate the indigo energy center.

Blue

In business, "blue-chip" refers to companies that are reliable and profitable.

IBM is a blue-chip stock.

Indigo

In fashion, indigo is the typical dye used for blue jeans.

The indigo in these jeans is fading.

Blue

Blue is one of the three primary colours of pigments in painting and traditional colour theory, as well as in the RGB colour model. It lies between violet and green on the spectrum of visible light.

Indigo

Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin for Indian as the dye was originally exported to Europe from India.

Blue

The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between green and indigo, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 420 to 490 nanometers; any of a group of colors that may vary in lightness and saturation, whose hue is that of a clear daytime sky; one of the additive or light primaries; one of the psychological primary hues.

Indigo

Any of various shrubs or herbs of the genus Indigofera in the pea family, having pinnately compound leaves and usually red or purple flowers in axillary racemes.

Blue

A pigment or dye imparting this hue.

Indigo

A dark blue crystalline compound, C16H10N2O2, that is obtained from these plants or produced synthetically and is widely used as a textile dye. Also called indigotin.

Blue

Bluing.

Indigo

Any of several related plants, especially those of the genera Amorpha and Baptisia.

Blue

An object having this hue.

Indigo

The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between blue and violet, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 420 to 450 nanometers; a dark blue to grayish purple blue.

Blue

Dress or clothing of this hue

The ushers wore blue.

Indigo

A purplish-blue colour

Blue

A person who wears a blue uniform.

Indigo

An indigo-colored dye obtained from certain plants (the indigo plant or woad), or a similar synthetic dye.

Blue

Blues A dress blue uniform, especially that of the US Army.

Indigo

An indigo plant, such as from species in genera Indigofera, Amorpha (false indigo), Baptisia (wild indigo), and Psorothamnus and Dalea (indigo bush).

Blue

A member of the Union Army in the Civil War.

Indigo

Having a deep purplish-blue colour

Blue

The Union Army.

Indigo

A kind of deep blue, one of the seven prismatic colors.

Blue

A bluefish.

Indigo

A blue dyestuff obtained from several plants belonging to very different genera and orders, such as, the woad, Isatis tinctoria (family Cruciferae), Indigofera suffroticosa, Indigofera tinctoria (family Leguminosae), Indigofera Anil, Nereum tinctorium, Polygonum tinctorium Ait. (family Polygonaceae), etc.; called also natural indigo. It is a dark blue earthy substance, tasteless and odorless, with a copper-violet luster when rubbed. Indigo does not exist in the plants as such, but is obtained by decomposition of the glycoside indican.

Blue

Any of various small blue butterflies of the subfamily Polyommatinae.

Indigo

Having the color of, pertaining to, or derived from, indigo.

Blue

The sky.

Indigo

A blue dye obtained from plants or made synthetically

Blue

The sea.

Indigo

Deciduous subshrub of southeastern Asia having pinnate leaves and clusters of red or purple flowers; a source of indigo dye

Blue

Of the color blue.

Blue

Bluish or having parts that are blue or bluish, as the blue spruce and the blue whale.

Blue

Having a gray or purplish color, as from cold or contusion.

Blue

Wearing blue.

Blue

Being a trail, as for skiing, marked with a sign having a blue square, indicating an intermediate level of difficulty.

Blue

Relating to or being a blue state.

Blue

Gloomy; depressed.

Blue

Dismal; dreary

A blue day.

Blue

Puritanical; strict.

Blue

Aristocratic; patrician.

Blue

Indecent; risqué

A blue joke.

A blue movie.

Blue

To make or become blue.

Blue

Having blue as its color.

The deep blue sea

Blue

(informal) Depressed, melancholic, sad.

Blue

(health care) Having a bluish or purplish shade of the skin due to a lack of oxygen to the normally deep red blood cells.

The divers got them out of the car just in time – they were starting to turn blue.

Blue

Pale, without redness or glare; said of a flame.

The candle burns blue.

Blue

(politics) Supportive of, run by (a member of), pertaining to, or dominated by a political party represented by the colour blue.

Blue

Supportive of, run by (a member of), pertaining to, or dominated by the Democratic Party.

I live in a blue constituency.

Congress turned blue in the mid-term elections.

Blue

Supportive of or related to the Liberal Party.

Illawarra turns blue in Liberal washout

Blue

(UK politics) Supportive of or related to the Conservative Party.

Blue

(astronomy) Of the higher-frequency region of the part of the electromagnetic spectrum which is relevant in the specific observation.

Blue

(of steak) Extra rare; left very raw and cold.

Blue

(of a dog or cat) Having a coat of fur of a slaty gray shade.

Blue

(archaic) Severe or overly strict in morals; gloomy.

Blue and sour religionists;

Blue laws

Blue

Literary; bluestockinged.

Blue

(particle physics) Having a color charge of blue.

Blue

(informal) Risqué; obscene; profane; pornographic.

His material is too blue for prime-time

The air was blue with oaths.

A blue movie

Blue

The colour of the clear sky or the deep sea, between green and purple in the visible spectrum, and one of the primary additive colours for transmitted light; the colour obtained by subtracting red and green from white light using magenta and cyan filters; or any colour resembling this.

Blue

Anything coloured blue, especially to distinguish it from similar objects differing only in color.

I don't like red Smarties. Have you got a blue?

Blue

A blue dye or pigment.

Blue

Blue clothing.

The boys in blue marched to the pipers.

Blue

(in the plural) A blue uniform. See blues.

Blue

A member of a sports team that wears blue colours; (in the plural) a nickname for the team as a whole. See also blues.

Come on you blues!

Blue

An umpire, in reference to the typical dark blue color of the umpire's uniform. Sometimes perceived by umpires as derogatory when used by players or coaches while disputing a call.

He was safe! Terrible call, blue!

Blue

Sporting colours awarded by a university or other institution for sporting achievement, such as representing one's university, especially and originally at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England. See also full blue, half blue.

He excelled at rowing and received a blue in the sport at Oxford.

Blue

A person who has received such sporting colours.

He was a blue in rugby at Cambridge.

Blue

(slang) A member of law enforcement.

Blue

A bluestocking.

Blue

The sky, literally or figuratively.

The balloon floated up into the blue.

His request for leave came out of the blue.

Blue

The ocean; deep waters.

Blue

The far distance; a remote or distant place.

Blue

A dog or cat with a slaty gray coat.

Blue

(snooker) One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of five points.

Blue

(entomology) Any of the butterflies of the subfamily Polyommatinae in the family Lycaenidae, most of which have blue on their wings.

Blue

A bluefish.

Blue

An argument.

Blue

A liquid with an intense blue colour, added to a laundry wash to prevent yellowing of white clothes.

Blue

Any of several processes to protect metal against rust.

Blue

(British) A type of firecracker.

Blue

(particle physics) One of the three color charges for quarks.

Blue

(UK) A member or supporter of the Conservative Party.

He is a true blue.

Blue

(ergative) To make or become blue; to turn blue.

Blue

To treat the surface of steel so that it is passivated chemically and becomes more resistant to rust.

Blue

To brighten by treating with blue (laundry aid).

Blue

To fight, brawl, or argue.

Blue

To spend (money) extravagantly; to blow.

Blue

Having the color of the clear sky, or a hue resembling it, whether lighter or darker; as, the deep, blue sea; as blue as a sapphire; blue violets.

Blue

Pale, without redness or glare, - said of a flame; hence, of the color of burning brimstone, betokening the presence of ghosts or devils; as, the candle burns blue; the air was blue with oaths.

Blue

Low in spirits; melancholy; as, to feel blue.

Blue

Suited to produce low spirits; gloomy in prospect; as, thongs looked blue.

Blue

Severe or over strict in morals; gloom; as, blue and sour religionists; suiting one who is over strict in morals; inculcating an impracticable, severe, or gloomy mortality; as, blue laws.

Blue

Literary; - applied to women; - an abbreviation of bluestocking.

The ladies were very blue and well informed.

For his religion . . . 'T was Presbyterian, true blue.

Blue

One of the seven colors into which the rays of light divide themselves, when refracted through a glass prism; the color of the clear sky, or a color resembling that, whether lighter or darker; a pigment having such color.

Blue

A pedantic woman; a bluestocking.

Blue

Low spirits; a fit of despondency; melancholy.

Blue

To make blue; to dye of a blue color; to make blue by heating, as metals, etc.

Blue

The color of the clear sky in the daytime;

He had eyes of bright blue

Blue

Blue clothing;

She was wearing blue

Blue

Any organization or party whose uniforms or badges are blue;

The Union army was a vast blue

Blue

The sky as viewed during daylight;

He shot an arrow into the blue

Blue

Used to whiten laundry or hair or give it a bluish tinge

Blue

The sodium salt of amobarbital that is used as a barbiturate; used as a sedative and a hypnotic

Blue

Any of numerous small chiefly blue butterflies of the family Lycaenidae

Blue

Turn blue

Blue

Having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky;

October's bright blue weather

A blue flame

Blue haze of tobacco smoke

Blue

Used to signify the Union forces in the Civil War (who wore blue uniforms);

A ragged blue line

Blue

Low in spirits;

Lonely and blue in a strange city

Depressed by the loss of his job

A dispirited and resigned expression on her face

Downcast after his defeat

Feeling discouraged and downhearted

Blue

Characterized by profanity or cursing;

Foul-mouthed and blasphemous

Blue language

Profane words

Blue

Belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy;

An aristocratic family

Aristocratic Bostonians

Aristocratic government

A blue family

Blue blood

The blue-blooded aristocracy

Of gentle blood

Patrician landholders of the American South

Aristocratic bearing

Aristocratic features

Patrician tastes

Blue

Morally rigorous and strict;

Blue laws

The puritan work ethic

Puritanic distaste for alcohol

She was anything but puritanical in her behavior

Blue

Causing dejection;

A blue day

The dark days of the war

A week of rainy depressing weather

A disconsolate winter landscape

The first dismal dispiriting days of November

A dark gloomy day

Grim rainy weather

Is blue a primary color?

Yes, blue is a primary color.

Is indigo natural or synthetic?

Indigo can be both natural (from plants) and synthetic.

Is blue common in nature?

Yes, blue is common in nature, especially in skies and oceans.

Is indigo darker than blue?

Generally, indigo is a darker, deeper blue.

What is indigo used for?

Indigo is used as a dye and also has symbolic meanings.

What emotions does blue represent?

Blue often represents calmness or sadness.

Is blue used in flags?

Yes, blue is a common color in many national flags.

Is indigo a compound color?

No, indigo is a specific wavelength color.

Is blue always a cool color?

In color theory, blue is usually considered a cool color.

What does indigo symbolize?

Indigo is often associated with intuition or spirituality.

Can indigo be used in place of blue?

Indigo can be used in place of blue but will give a darker hue.

Is indigo mentioned in any cultural texts?

Yes, indigo is mentioned in various cultural and spiritual texts.

How does blue interact with other colors?

Blue can create various shades when mixed with other colors.

Is blue or indigo higher in energy?

Blue has slightly less energy compared to indigo in terms of wavelength.

Is indigo used in chakra therapy?

Yes, indigo is associated with the third eye chakra.

Written by

Tayyaba Rehman

Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

Co-written by

Fiza Rafique

Fiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.

Blue vs. Indigo — What’s the Difference? (2024)

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