painting
PAYN-tihng
Painting (noun) means a picture or artwork made with paint. Example: “The gallery bought a painting by a local artist.”
noun
1
A picture or artwork made with paint.
"The gallery bought a painting by a local artist."
"A large painting of a harbour hangs above our fireplace."
"The museum is lending its most famous painting to another city for the summer."
2
The activity of applying paint, whether as art or as a practical job.
"Painting the whole house took the whole weekend."
"She took up painting after retiring."
"My grandfather finds painting relaxing and spends every Sunday at his easel."
How to use painting
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a finished work made with paint, or the act of applying paint.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
an oil painting
a painting of
house painting
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Word forms
- Plural
- paintings
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The gallery bought a _____ by a local artist.
Etymology
Formed from paint plus -ing.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for painting
See all rhymes for painting →Frequently asked questions
What does “painting” mean?
The word “painting” means a picture or artwork made with paint. In plain terms, either a finished work made with paint, or the act of applying paint.
How do you pronounce “painting”?
“Painting” is pronounced PAYN-tihng (/ˈpeɪ.nɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “painting” in a sentence?
Here is “painting” used in a sentence: “The gallery bought a painting by a local artist.”
What part of speech is “painting”?
“Painting” is a noun.
Is “painting” a common word?
“Painting” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “painting” have?
“Painting” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a picture or artwork made with paint.
What is the difference between a painting and a drawing?
A painting is made with paint — applied colour such as oil, acrylic, or watercolour, usually built up in areas of tone and hue. A drawing is made with dry or line-based tools like pencil, pen, charcoal, or crayon, and relies more on line. The medium is the key difference.
What are the different types of painting?
Paintings can be grouped by medium — oil, watercolour, acrylic, gouache, or fresco — and by subject or style, such as portrait, landscape, still life, and abstract. Art movements like Impressionism, Realism, and Cubism describe further styles. The same picture might be classed several ways at once, by material and by genre.
What is an example of a famous painting?
Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' is perhaps the best known, alongside Vincent van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' and Edvard Munch's 'The Scream.' Each is a picture made with paint on a surface, and each is celebrated for its style, technique, and lasting influence on art.
What is the difference between a painting and a print?
A painting is an original, made by hand directly with paint, so only one exists. A print is a reproduction, produced by transferring an image — mechanically or from a plate — so many identical copies can be made. A painting is unique; prints are multiples of an existing image.
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