Color Yellow Meaning & Usage: The Best Guide

Philosophy and the meaning of colors have existed as long as the Earth, I dare to say. And before we pick a color whether it is for the outfit or to paint the kitchen, it is good to know what it represents. If you are here, then you want to learn more about the color yellow meaning and its usage.

You’ve arrived at one of the most colorful blogs that exists and luckily, since yellow is one of the happiest colors, I know some info about it that I’m about to share with you. So let’s dive into this yellow river!

Color Yellow Meaning

If we think about yellow, we think for instance about the sun, don’t we? This is not an accident since yellow is a warm color and whenever you’re picking the bulblights you choose between yellow light (warm) and the blue one (cold).

The primary meaning of yellow is warmth and joy. It also symbolizes friendship – that’s why getting yellow flowers from your crush might mean you’re about the get friendzoned.

There is so much in the color yellow meaning that instead of following my colorful compass only, I’ve researched and observed what it means for others to be able to create the list of color yellow meaning below:

The Most Common Associations With Yellow

• warm feelings
• optimism and joy
• intellect
• imagination
• friendship

I’ve found few people who would claim that yellow means betrayal, madness, or silence. And maybe in some cultures, this might be the case. Yet, the majority of the associations with yellow are rather positive.

Still, it is worth thinking about – are there situations in which the color yellow meaning is silence for instance? Well, yes and no. Which leads us to the critical point of the question:

50 Shades of Yellow

There are a bunch of shades of Mr. Yellow (probably way more than 50!) and one could write a whole book about it, yet I will focus mainly on the most popular shades and provide you with the color yellow meaning for each of them.

What a color symbolizes can depend on something so simple as a shade. Pastel, very subtle yellow will not make us think of a sun that much – we would rather associate it with a banana shake. I would drink one right now! Or not really, I prefer strawberry one… Marysia, back to the topic!

Typical, New York taxi yellow we know so well represents all the things that I’ve mentioned above, yet for example pasel shade of yellow will have a very different message to say.

Pastel Yellow

Aha, see. This might certainly mean “silence”. I would even dare to say that its meaning can be shyness. The brighter a shade of yellow is, the further from the positive and joyful associations.

Pastel yellow in this case would mean shyness, silence, and cowardice, but also gentleness and hope. I would also say that this particular shade means the beginning of friendship – when you are in this stage of getting to know your friend and your relationship is slowly thriving.

When applying for a joy, pastel yellow is not the best decision – you might accidentally communicate things that you wouldn’t want to. Yet, if the position you’re applying for offers more freedom and maybe even requires artistic spirit to some level, it is better to aim at more vibrant shades of this color.

In fashion pastel yellow goes perfectly pretty much with any other pastel color and you can play around with it, without being scared of its negative connotations. I mean, the color palette connecting a few colors with pastel yellow will have a different meaning than the pastel yellow alone. It’s simply the art of connecting colors.

If you want to create a color palette and incorporate any shade of yellow, check out my post on this subject.

Mustard Yellow

This shade is one of the autumn colors and that’s why it can symbolize melancholy. It has a calm vibe and chooses to blend in rather than stand out. That’s why this color can be seen as more formal than any other shade of yellow.

I am rather a ketchup girl, but I can see the beauty in mustard yellow as well 😉

In outfits, autumn colors do like each other, especially if your beauty type is autumn. Crimson, emerald green, or any shade of brown will expose the energy of a mustard yellow.

If you want to give this nostalgic and cozy flow to your home, make sure to incorporate this color into your interiors.

By the way, isn’t it fascinating that just a few shades further from a classic school bus yellow we find ourselves in a different climate? The color yellow meaning is so wide and you can express a lot with this color.

Amber Yellow

Amber yellow is one of the most royal shades of yellow. That’s why this variant of the color yellow meaning is royalty and courage. Amber, as so close to gold, often appeared in the shields of the knights and on the paintings from older times.

Ha, the fact about the shields explains why the color yellow meaning is courage as well. Maybe also because to go out in a shade that stands out so much you need to be a brave person 😉

Since it’s name has its origin in the gemstone, no wonder it looks so prestigious. It is a good choice whenever you want to dress up more elegantly, yet stay in the positive vibe of yellow.

Since this shade is such strong, I would recommend connecting it with more toned colors – the standard choice would be black or grey. This way amber can shine uninterrupted.

Gold

Ah, the classic gold – the royal baby in the yellow family. Not much joy and friendship is left in associations with casual yellow, now we have pure fanciness.

What is worth mentioning, gold symbolizes purity and justice in royalty, yet silver represents ambition and power.

If you are a Harry Potter fan, then you are aware that gold and crimson are the colors of the Gryffindor house – a house that stands for bravery and chivalry. Very right so!

Gold is a warm color which means it will expose the beauty of the warm skin tone to the next level. Ladies with any shade of brown or ginger hair will look like a true Queen in gold.

Gold does not need company because it looks the best as an individual. That’s why a gold dress will scream “Wow!” the most when surrounded by very subtle, if any accessories.

Vivid Yellow

Oh, I love this one! It is such a positive color and after having a glance at it, you immediately become 51% happier.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then you’ve probably noticed that I am addicted to my vivid yellow French beret.

This is a very powerful color so if a whole dress is too much, choosing accessories like bags, hats, or shoes in this color can be a great accent color choice. Also, small pops of yellow in the interiors bring out warmth and joy to the house.

Yet, too much yellow can be overwhelming for the eyes. Just like you cannot stare too long directly at the sun, the same rule applies to the color itself. Yellow is beautiful and optimistic, but you do not want to overyellowize (yup, totally made up this word) your living space.

Yellow can be paired with pretty much every other color, yet its best companion is purple.

Champagne and Butter

What an interesting combination, isn’t it? But I do not mean food and drinks, but still the star of this article – Yellow!

There are bright shades of this color that are called “champagne” and “butter” and I think it’s so sweet! It makes you want to open up the champagne and celebrate the day 🙂

These bright shades are very subtle and can be associated with shyness even more than a pastel yellow.

Yet, they are very elegant and can be worn for formal events without being misinterpreted.

It can be used for interiors as a base color and bring calm and peace with its gentle shade. It is pleasant for the eyes and you can cover with it big spaces without overwhelming yourself.

Color Yellow Meaning in Flowers

Doesn’t matter which shade of yellow we are talking about, there are flowers in this color that always mean one primary thing.

For example, as I said, yellow flowers do not necessarily mean love as opposed to red ones.

Yellow roses are a sign of friendship and gratitude so these can be given to a teacher, a friend, or even a coworker without sending weird signals.

But the kingdom of yellow flowers does not end with roses of course. We also have sunflowers which simply mean joy. Sunflowers may not be the most elegant flowers, but they certainly are the happiest. So giving it to a dear one will for sure cheer them up.

A less popular flower, tickseed is also yellow, yet its petals are so sensitive and so little that this flower usually appears as an addition to the bouquet – if you want to sprinkle some joy over somebody, but getting a kinda huge sunflower seems too much, go with a small bouquet with tickseeds being dominant.

Color Yellow Meaning in Fashion

Yellow as an accent color is always in fashion, even if there are more trendy colors during specific seasons. It is simply because it is so joyful so using it as accessories is a good idea.

Of course, there are formal situations when using vivid yellow could seem inappropriate, yet having such a wide choice, we can find a more balanced shade to incorporate into our office outfit.

If you’re leaning towards wearing mustard or champagne yellow, then you’re bringing in the coziness and elegance at once.

While choosing vivid or amber yellow shows that you are brave and you enjoy life.

Also, fashion does not forbid mixing many shades of yellow – for example, vivid plus butter can create a highly effective combination. The family of yellow gets along very well so do not be afraid to go this route.

Color Yellow Meaning in Interiors

There is a reason why the logo of IKEA is blue on a yellow background – it connects the joy of designing with professionalism.

If you’re planning to paint your walls yellow, pick furniture in this color, or use it as an accent color for decorations, then you’re making a fantastic decision. Yellow in the house spreads the joy of family and makes you want to wake up to such a home.

You cannot go wrong with shade as long as you balance it out with a calmer color. You can follow IKEA’s example, and combine yellow and blue. If you want to elevate the coziness, connect it with orange and shades of brown.

If you want this sprinkle of happiness to stand out, use grey as a main color. No matter the shade, in interiors yellow always means joy.

Let’s Get Yellowized

I hope you understand the variety of meanings behind yellow, no matter the shade or the purpose of its usage. I would say that now you can pass any exam from yellowlogy. 🙂

This color is certainly magical and we should use it more bravely. Here, grab the yellow beret and let this color make your day happier.

How are you going to incorporate more yellow into your life? Share in the comments!