Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!) Easter eggs (New!)

Literary notes about brown (AI summary)

The word “brown” in literature is remarkably versatile, functioning as both a literal descriptor and a symbolic element that connects readers to an earthy, tangible world. Authors use “brown” to detail physical traits and objects—from the soft glow of a brown face with rippling gray-black hair [1] and the subtle brightness of brown cheeks [2], to the striking ordinary charm of a well-cut brown suit [3] or the rustic appearance of brown leaves blurring into an autumn landscape [4]. It also serves as a name that carries its own narrative weight, as in the enduring presence of Father Brown [5] or characters simply identified by the name “Brown” [6, 7]. Through these varied uses, “brown” enriches the texture of a story, grounding abstract emotions in concrete, familiar imagery while simultaneously hinting at deeper layers of character and cultural significance.
  1. What would you say to a soft, brown face, aureoled in a thousand ripples of gray-black hair, which knells suddenly: "Do you trust white people?"
    — from Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W. E. B. Du Bois
  2. As for the girl, one noticed only a peculiar brightness in her eyes, while the brown cheeks became more rosy.
    — from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant
  3. His brown suit was well cut, but perilously near the end of its tether.
    — from The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
  4. Altogether, Marilla was a thankful woman when she drove into her own yard, where the wind of the autumn night was dancing with the brown leaves.
    — from Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
  5. But Father Brown walked those snow-covered hills under the stars for many hours with a murderer, and what they said to each other will never be known.
    — from The innocence of Father Brown by G. K. Chesterton
  6. “Hullo, Brown!
    — from Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes
  7. Miss Brown was to be told her father had been summoned to take a short journey on railway business.
    — from Cranford by Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux