color outside the lines
color outside the lines · colors outside the lines · colored outside the lines · coloring outside the lines
To behave in creative or unconventional ways, to break the rulesTo behave in creative or unconventional ways, to break the rules.
Meaning
2 senses(intransitive)To behave in creative or unconventional ways, to break the rules.
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see color, outside, lines.
Origin
A reference to children's coloring books, which contain line drawings to be colored in.A reference to children's coloring books, which contain line drawings to be colored in.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
colors outside the lines, coloring outside the lines, colored outside the lines, colored outside the lines| Base form | color outside the lines · to color outside the lines |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | colors outside the lines |
| Present participle | coloring outside the lines |
| Past simple | colored outside the lines |
| Past participle | colored outside the lines |
irregular
Present simpleLesson
| I, you, we, they | color outside the lines |
| he, she, it | colors outside the lines |
Past simpleLesson
| all persons | colored outside the lines |
Present perfectLesson
| I, you, we, they | have colored outside the lines |
| he, she, it | has colored outside the lines |
Future simple (will)Lesson
| all persons | will color outside the lines |
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.