Muted colour
A colour that has been softened toward grey — less intense than its purest, most vivid version.
Technical definition
Colourwise classifies a colour as muted when HSV saturation is below 40%.
Common confusion
Muted is not the same as pale — a muted colour can still be quite dark (a muted plum), whereas pastel specifically implies high lightness too.
Example
Dusty rose and sage green are muted colours.
Why it matters
'How do I mute a colour?' is one of the most common practical colour-mixing questions — see the mixing guide.
Related terms
Sources
- Colourwise editorial synthesis — Colourwise