diff --git a/tools/lammps-gui/highlighter.cpp b/tools/lammps-gui/highlighter.cpp
index 3e75cb56d4..84b9b0035f 100644
--- a/tools/lammps-gui/highlighter.cpp
+++ b/tools/lammps-gui/highlighter.cpp
@@ -18,18 +18,23 @@ Highlighter::Highlighter(QTextDocument *parent) : QSyntaxHighlighter(parent)
     HighlightingRule rule;
 
     outputFormat.setForeground(Qt::darkYellow);
+    outputFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold);
     readFormat.setForeground(Qt::magenta);
+    readFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold);
     latticeFormat.setForeground(Qt::darkGreen);
+    latticeFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold);
     particleFormat.setForeground(Qt::darkRed);
+    particleFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold);
     setupFormat.setForeground(Qt::darkCyan);
-    runFormat.setForeground(Qt::green);
+    setupFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold);
+    runFormat.setForeground(Qt::darkBlue);
     runFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold);
     defineFormat.setForeground(Qt::darkMagenta);
     defineFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Bold);
 
     numberFormat.setForeground(Qt::blue);
     commentFormat.setForeground(Qt::red);
-    stringFormat.setForeground(Qt::cyan);
+    stringFormat.setForeground(Qt::darkGreen);
     stringFormat.setFontWeight(QFont::Normal);
 
     const QString output_keywords[] = {
@@ -202,11 +207,44 @@ Highlighter::Highlighter(QTextDocument *parent) : QSyntaxHighlighter(parent)
 
 void Highlighter::highlightBlock(const QString &text)
 {
+    auto style = QRegularExpression("^(fix|compute|dump|set)\\s+(\\w+)\\s+(\\S+)\\s+(\\S+)").match(text);
+    auto force = QRegularExpression("^(atom_style|pair_style|bond_style|angle_style|dihedral_style|improper_style|kspace_style)\\s+(\\S+)").match(text);
+    auto defs = QRegularExpression("^(group|variable)\\s+(\\S+)\\s+(\\S+)").match(text);
+    auto undo = QRegularExpression("^(unfix|uncompute|undump)\\s+(\\w+)").match(text);
+    bool do_style = true;
+    bool do_force = true;
+    bool do_defs = true;
+    bool do_undo = true;
     for (const HighlightingRule &rule : qAsConst(highlightingRules)) {
         QRegularExpressionMatchIterator matchIterator = rule.pattern.globalMatch(text);
         while (matchIterator.hasNext()) {
             QRegularExpressionMatch match = matchIterator.next();
-            setFormat(match.capturedStart(), match.capturedLength(), rule.format);
+            // special treatment for fix/compute/dump styles etc.
+            if (style.hasMatch() && do_style) {
+                setFormat(style.capturedStart(1), style.capturedLength(1), defineFormat);
+                setFormat(style.capturedStart(2), style.capturedLength(2), numberFormat);
+                setFormat(style.capturedStart(3), style.capturedLength(3), stringFormat);
+                setFormat(style.capturedStart(4), style.capturedLength(4), runFormat);
+                do_style = false;
+            // special treatment for force styles styles
+            } else if (force.hasMatch() && do_force) {
+                setFormat(force.capturedStart(1), force.capturedLength(1), particleFormat);
+                setFormat(force.capturedStart(2), force.capturedLength(2), runFormat);
+                do_force = false;
+            // special treatment for undo commands
+            } else if (undo.hasMatch() && do_undo) {
+                setFormat(undo.capturedStart(1), undo.capturedLength(1), defineFormat);
+                setFormat(undo.capturedStart(2), undo.capturedLength(2), stringFormat);
+                do_undo = false;
+            // special treatment for some definitions
+            } else if (defs.hasMatch() && do_defs) {
+                setFormat(defs.capturedStart(1), defs.capturedLength(1), particleFormat);
+                setFormat(defs.capturedStart(2), defs.capturedLength(2), stringFormat);
+                setFormat(defs.capturedStart(3), defs.capturedLength(3), runFormat);
+                do_defs = false;
+            } else {
+                setFormat(match.capturedStart(), match.capturedLength(), rule.format);
+            }
         }
     }
 }