Color Symbolism and Meaning of Pink

Where do we find the meaning of pink? Do we capture the curve of a rose in bloom? Are we seeking out the flush of healthy cheeks on a chilly day? Is the meaning found in the tightly swaddled form of a newborn baby girl? Pink delights us all – man, woman, child, and adult.

Meaning Of Pink: Explained

The color of frivolity lives between red and white. Pink takes all the passion and energy of red and tempers it with the purity of white, leaving us with the color of tenderness and affection.

Physical Effects

Pink has been definitively linked to toning down aggression, and its use in holding cells for violent criminals has been quite effective. Some sports teams have even painted opposing teams locker rooms pink in an attempt to reduce aggression. Pink is such an effective mood regulator that too much of it can by physically draining. Dark pinks have effects similar to red–heightened emotions, while pale pinks are more soothing.

#Color meaning of Pink - sweetness, femininity, romantic, innocence, and playfulness.

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Symbolism And Meaning Of Pink

Pink symbolizes youth, good health, and playfulness. It’s the flush of first love and stands for nurturing femininity. It’s used as the symbolic color of the movement to support breast cancer research, and we think of pink as an innocent, cheerful color.

Meaning of Pink Words
Meaning of Pink Defined

Positive Associations

We associate pink with the innocence of childhood and unabashed play. If giggles had a color, it would be pink, and pink used in design reveals a willingness to embrace wonder and creativity. Pink can soften formal design, and its influence can lighten up dark, stodgy colors.

If giggles had a #color, it would be pink!

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Negative Associations

Pink can be associated with passivity, and an unwillingness to take matters seriously. We think of pink as the color of inexperience and associate it with weakness and inhibitions. Pink can also be associated with timidity or a tendency to be overly emotional.

Pink Color Morsels

The pink fairy armadillo lives in Argentina and is the smallest of all the armadillos. They weigh less than a pound and forage for ants, worms, and other insects. Pink fairy armadillos live underground and emerge to find food at night.

The little finger is often referred to as the "pinky," and the origin goes back to an obsolete meaning of "pink" to refer to something small.

Before the famous band we know as Pink Floyd went by that name, they were called The Pink Floyd Sound. The also went by earlier names The Tea Set and Abdabs. Roughly 1 in 12 people own a copy of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album from 1973.

Dubble Bubble bubblegum was created in 1969, and got its pink color because that was the only color dye its creator, Walter Donger, had on hand.The record for the largest bubble ever blown with bubblegum is held by Susan Montgomery Williams who blew a 26-inch bubble in 1996.

Read About the Color Pink

Pink The History of a Punk Pretty Powerful Color
Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World

Pink Words, Phrases And Idioms

Examples of how the meaning of pink colors our language:

  • Tickled pink: to be happy
  • In the pink: in good health -- this phrase hasn't always had this meaning [See The Meaning of In the Pink]
  • Pinking shears: scissors with serrated blades
  • Pink elephant: term to describe hallucinations during intoxication
  • Pinkie finger: the smallest finger on the human hand
  • Pink slip: notice that employment is ending
  • Pink collar: refers to a particular class of jobs once only filled by women
Color Words, Idioms and Phrases

Quotes About Color Pink

Diana Vreeland Quotes About Color

Pink is the new black.

Diana Vreeland, fashion columnist/editor and consultant to Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1903-1989

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn, British actress, 1929-1993

Pink is the navy blue of India. - Diana Vreeland  #color #quotes

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Pink is the navy blue of India.

Diana Vreeland, fashion columnist/editor and consultant to Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1903-1989

Almost all words do have color and nothing is more pleasant than to utter a pink word and see someone’s eyes light up and know it is a pink word for him or her too.

Gladys Taber, American columnist and author of 59 books, 1899–1980

Mauve? Mauve is just pink trying to be purple. - James Whistler  #color #quotes

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Mauve? Mauve is just pink trying to be purple.

James Abbott McNeill Whistler, U.S.-born British painter of the late 19th century art movement, 1834-1903

I saw a sunset in Queretaro that seemed to reflect the color of a rose in Bengal.

Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine writer, 1899-1986

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn, British actress, 1929-1993

Pink isn't just a color, it's an attitude! - Miley Cyrus  #color #quotes

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Pink isn't just a color, it's an attitude!

Miley Cyrus, American singer, songwriter, and actress, b. 1992

I fell off my pink cloud with a thud.

Elizabeth Taylor, British-American actress, 1932-2011

My parents told me I'd point to a bed of flowers and say 'Pink. Pretty,' before I knew any other words.

Joni Mitchell, Canadian singer, songwriter and painter, b. 1943

Pink is what I do. Alecia is who I am. The world has taken Pink and turned it into this thing, a brand - a snarl.

 Pink, American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress, 1979

Quotes About Color Orange

More Intriguing Facts About Pink

Title - It Takes More Than Pink to Entice Women to Buy
Title - Wave Petunias Pink Packaging Is Their Trademark
Title - Can Pink Lights Fight Crime

Pink As A Signature Color

A signature color is different than a favorite color although for some people they many be one and the same. It is all in how you express yourself with a color and how consistently you wear it or surround yourself with the color that makes it your signature shade.

  • Mamie Eisenhower - She wore a pink gown covered with 2,000 pink rhinestones to Ike’s first inauguration, and the shade of her dresses and accessories came to be known as “First Lady Pink” or “Mamie Pink.” Pink was also her preferred hue for entertaining and decorating. As a popular first lady American's quickly picked up on her palette, which was “right in line with the exuberance of the time,” says Pam Kueber, founder of Save the Pink Bathrooms. Pink existed before Mamie, of course, but “the penchant for pink in the home — especially bathroom fixtures and tiles, but also kitchen appliances and then cabinets — was at a frenzy from about 1954 through to 1960 or so.”
  • Pink  - Called the most trailblazing artist of her generation, singer-songwriter, Alecia Beth Moore (born September 8, 1979), is known professionally as Pink. A name linked to the color of sweetness and innocence had a rather raunchy beginning - Pink Reveals Story Behind Stage Name.

Companies & Brands Identified by Pink

  • Thomas Pink
  • Owens Corning [See  Pink Trademark}
  • Lyft
  • Baskin Robbins
  • Vineyard Vines
  • Barbie
Business Color Identify

Cities With Color Names: Pink

How Pink Hill, NC got its name
The original town settler, Anthony Davis, owned a large farm on a hill in southern Lenoir County. Every spring, fields of pink flowers would bloom in the fields as far as the eye could see. Davis would name the community Pink Hill.

Glen Rose, Texas
Pink Hill, North Carolina
Rose City , Michigan
Rose Hill, Kansas
Rose Hill, Virginia

Cities with Color Name

Song that Feature the Color Pink

  • Mr. Pink Eyes by The Cure on the Lovecats single
  • Pink by Aerosmith
  • Pink & Blue by OutKast on The Love Below
  • Pink Cadillac by Bruce Springsteen
  • Pink Cashmere by Prince on The Hits 1
  • A Pink Dream by The Cure on the Mint Car single
  • Pink Elephant by Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
  • Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp
  • Pink Maggit by Deftones
  • Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini
Songs with Brown in title or lyrics

Color And Our Sense Of Smell: Pink

It’s not just emotion that makes scent powerful. It’s closely tied to your memories, as well. Smell also plays a major role in our ability to taste. When combined with color those connections become even stronger.

  • The pink colored Magic Scents Crayola Crayons labeled "Bubblegum" from Binney & Smith Inc. was originally scented to smell like sugary chewing gum. However, after numerous reports that children were "eating" the food-scented crayons the company changed to less tasty options. The scent for the color pink became “Shampoo.”
  • An international study, published in PLoS One, using standardized procedures to measure the odor-color connection found that people largely agreed that the fruity scent smelled like pink and red, while the musty scent smelled orange and brown.
  • “Gallica Roses come in crimsons, deep pinks, mauves, and stripes and splashes. They are most often described as having Old Rose fragrances, which can be intense and spicy.” - American Rose Association

Color Taste Connection: Pink

There are five basic groups of taste, which send signals to our brain to interpret flavor. However, we also send signals with our eyes before we take a bite and give our taste buds a chance to process the flavor. The color can pre-determine how we perceive the taste and flavor of what we eat.

  • Pastries taste better when they come out of pink boxes or served on pink plates.
  • Pink makes us crave sugar and may be why cotton candy is pink. Cotton candy, was invented in 1897 by candy makers William Morrison and John C. Wharton from Nashville, Tennessee, USA. They invented a device that heated sugar in a spinning bowl to form a treat that they originally called “Fairy Floss.” 

Discover More About The Meaning Of Colors

Color Symbolism and Meaning of Red
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Black
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Gray
Color Symbolism and Meaning of White
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Green
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Brown
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Orange
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Purple
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Yellow
Color Symbolism and Meaning of Blue

Talk With Us About The Color Pink

We'd enjoy knowing what you love about the color pink or what you most enjoyed about this article. We love hearing from you and read every comment.

Is there something that you know about green that should be included here? Great! We’d love to hear from you. Share what you know about the color pink by leaving a comment below. We may just add it to the information shared on this page.

Read Time: 9 min
author avatar
Kate Smith
Kate Smith is an optimistic, expressive, artist, designer, writer and color fanatic. With her warm and witty style, Kate teaches you to clearly see, understand and be inspired by color. Then she guides you step-by-step to develop your own unique color sense-ability and achieve results you never dreamed possible.
  • Nice post, it is useful for me. It is very informative.

  • lailahamdani says:

    I actually like reading all of the blog posts on your website, sir. In general, this essay is pleasant and informational. Everything has a purpose and exists for a reason. Your article is really good.

  • Thank You For this amazing article

  • Marryjohn says:

    It’s fascinating to delve into the multifaceted world of the color pink and its intricate meanings. The way pink bridges the gap between the passionate energy of red and the purity of white, creating a spectrum of emotions from tenderness to playfulness, is truly captivating. I find it intriguing how pink can be both a mood regulator and a symbol of various concepts, such as youth, good health, and nurturing femininity.

  • Nora says:

    Whenever we see or hear about the color pink, it always brings to mind Barbie and her dresses. This character has been my favorite since my childhood.

  • So wonderful! and a useful article wonderful stuff and an outstanding article. Thanks

  • Holly Sleath says:

    Is it accurate to say that pink belongs in the grayscale?
    When I combined a sky blue with pink, I got grey.
    Is my assessment accurate?

  • Bonita Yan says:

    This is such a nice post, I really like it, As a blogger, I appreciate that. looks great and very fabulous thanks for sharing great thoughts

  • The great article explains the different connotations and cultural significance of the color pink.
    A fascinating read that gave me a deeper appreciation for the versatility and cultural relevance of pink.

  • johnny boy says:

    pink makes all the boys wink:)

    • The excellent article covers the various meanings and the significance of the hue pink in various cultures.
      A wonderful read that deepened my understanding of the adaptability and cultural significance of pink.

  • Shakran says:

    Your blog is amazing it gives so much ideas and information.

  • Slope Unblocked says:

    Pink is a nurturing, playful, and nostalgic color that takes people back to childhood. That said, pink is a color of opposites since it can make us think of both innocence and burning passion. Bright and hot pinks are associated with love, romance, and lust.

  • Pink is a worldwide symbol of love for both oneself and others. Pink is a colour that stands for approachability, harmony, friendliness, and love.

    • Alicia says:

      Truly pink is the new black. And as same as black it is a peaceful color 🙂

  • Sha! says:

    hey hi! everyone claims pink is for women! but I want to justify that it is neutral and men can also wear pink! can you help me with this?please!

  • JOHNNY PINK says:

    My Mother Dorothy (rip) was known as Dot Pink. So, it fair to say that I come from a pink dot in my own life perspective. I identify as a FELINE big cat-natured male. To me Pink identifies my character attitude. Pink is a resonant ENERGY, it’s a Vibe, a color that arouses and emerges in the middle of things. Pink is in the Nebula; Pink is in the flesh. To me it is felt as being very highly empowering, to me it’s very SPESH!

    • Kate Smith says:

      What a great name – Dot Pink. It is a special color for a woman I bet waa also very special. Kate

  • Great Article and Pink is a good color, Pink is the best color combination like Dresses , Flowers. Interesting Articles.

  • This blog is definitely helpful and informative. Great blog by the way and thanks for sharing these!

  • Its So Lithe Pink represents loyalty ship , care, kindness, inner peace, and dedicated peruse. Pink is the official color for little charm girls and represents sugar.

  • Sebone says:

    I just wanted to ask for songs about the colour pink

  • John Robert says:

    The color pink is the color of universal love of oneself and of others. Pink represents friendship, affection, harmony, inner peace, and approach-ability. Pink is the official color for little girls and represents sugar and spice and everything nice.
    Get coupon discount code at this site -> https://www.revounts.com.au/lego-promo-code

  • Kajer Hodish says:

    That is a good question, Jon. There is a paper that talks about that on the AIC website and I pulled this quote because it sums up the answer very well.

  • Anna Swan says:

    Pink is a lovely color. Its my favorite color since childhood. During my teenage I had many pink t-shirts and dresses. Great blog.

    • Thanks a lot for spreading this excellent post! I am looking forward to seeing more posts like this by you asap.

  • This is a really awesome and helpful article for me. I really appreciate your work for providing such useful information, thank you so much!

  • bongo banjo says:

    Fabulous post. You have shared a few excellent tips. I covey with you that any blogger really must assist their guests. When your guests observe esteem in your substance, they will return for additional.

  • Jemimmah Mwangi says:

    Pink is the child of Red and White😊

  • Patricio says:

    Pink is a colour that allow you to embrace your softer but also has variation of colours that can standout in designing a home or just your lifestyle.

    • John smith says:

      It is absolutely true pink is always represents soft and cool colour

  • kimmy Kervel says:

    Thanks for sharing this with us, this help me a lot

  • auroraalex says:

    how is pink used in historical beliefs and myths?

  • RER says:

    Clothes, items of clothing saying “PINK” why and when?

    • Kate Smith says:

      I think you must be referring to the clothing items from Victoria’s Secret. This billion-dollar loungewear brand is under the umbrella of the $10 billion conglomerate, Limited Brands. Victoria’s Secret PINK stands as a top lifestyle brand targeting college girls. Pink is essentially the junior brand to Victoria’s Secret. PINK products introduces Victoria’s Secret to young consumers and begins to build brand loyalty at a young age. It gives girls and young women the opportunity to be introduced to Victoria’s Secret in styles, sizes, and fashions that appeal to them.

  • Vada says:

    Is it true that pink is part of the gray scale?
    I experimented on pink with a sky blue and found gray.
    Is my conclusion correct?

    • Kate Smith says:

      The gray scale is the range from black to white and the steps of gray that is made by mixing black and white in varying amounts — lightest gray to darkest gray between white and black.

      When you mix pink with sky blue or another color you dull the pink and very dull colors often look gray and that is what I think you are seeing although the color would not technically fall into the gray scale.

  • Jon says:

    At a special exhibit (Fashion and Modernity) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Spring 2013, I noticed on one of the plaques that the color pink was not available, or at least common, in textiles until the 1860s. By the 1880s it had become all the rage. Do you know anything about this? It now bothers me to see pink in pre-1860s movies or read modern fiction that has girls wearing pink prior to 1860. Any thoughts?

    • Kate Smith says:

      That is a good question, Jon. There is a paper that talks about that on the AIC website and I pulled this quote because it sums up the answer very well. “Until the mid 19th century, the ability of Western women to follow changing decorative styles in clothing had been restricted, more or less, to the wealthy. It was around this period in history that those aspects of women’s dress regarded as fashionable, such as the fabric types, silhouettes, trims, and the wide color range, started to become available to much broader and more varied sections of society. These democratic changes were observed most significantly at a time coinciding with the discovery in 1856 of Mauveine, the first industrially-produced synthetic textile dye, and the consequent popularity of fashionable dress dyed in the mauve color that this dye provided.”

      Link to source: https://aic-color.org/resources/Documents/jaic_v11_01.pdf

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