mood board

American

[mood bawrd] / ˈmud ˌbɔrd /

noun

a collage of various items, as scenic snapshots, song lyrics, and mementos, used to evoke a desired feeling, style, or ambience for a project or event, and often fashioned as a starting point from which to create an inspiration board.

The wedding planner helped us put together a mood board, which set the whole tone for our reception.

mood board British

noun

a board used by designers on which samples of various colours and textures are mounted to help in deciding which elements complement each other

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mood board

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 23-year-old has a mood board of different styles she likes, but she knows one thing for sure - it won't be second-hand.

From BBC

Netflix sends the hotel a mood board with the flowers, colours and dresses used in each series to help shape the menu.

From BBC

I came in with a loose mood board, a few traditional pose ideas alongside some comedic “scenarios” that had a 50/50 chance of making it to my memory cards.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s a whiteboard with a set list behind the sofa, and they share some “mood board” phrases written for the creation of “Trash Classic.”

From Los Angeles Times

What’s on the mood board for “Vanity”? What were you listening to and thinking about?

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023