diff --git a/src/_pytest/hookspec.py b/src/_pytest/hookspec.py
index 1e16d092d..962ec8b3a 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/hookspec.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/hookspec.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 """ hook specifications for pytest plugins, invoked from main.py and builtin plugins.  """
 from typing import Any
+from typing import Mapping
 from typing import Optional
+from typing import Tuple
+from typing import Union
 
 from pluggy import HookspecMarker
 
@@ -8,7 +11,9 @@ from .deprecated import COLLECT_DIRECTORY_HOOK
 from _pytest.compat import TYPE_CHECKING
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from _pytest.config import Config
     from _pytest.main import Session
+    from _pytest.reports import BaseReport
 
 
 hookspec = HookspecMarker("pytest")
@@ -546,12 +551,32 @@ def pytest_report_collectionfinish(config, startdir, items):
 
 
 @hookspec(firstresult=True)
-def pytest_report_teststatus(report, config):
-    """ return result-category, shortletter and verbose word for reporting.
+def pytest_report_teststatus(
+    report: "BaseReport", config: "Config"
+) -> Tuple[
+    str, str, Union[str, Mapping[str, bool]],
+]:
+    """Return result-category, shortletter and verbose word for status
+    reporting.
 
-    :param _pytest.config.Config config: pytest config object
+    The result-category is a category in which to count the result, for
+    example "passed", "skipped", "error" or the empty string.
 
-    Stops at first non-None result, see :ref:`firstresult` """
+    The shortletter is shown as testing progresses, for example ".", "s",
+    "E" or the empty string.
+
+    The verbose word is shown as testing progresses in verbose mode, for
+    example "PASSED", "SKIPPED", "ERROR" or the empty string.
+
+    pytest may style these implicitly according to the report outcome.
+    To provide explicit styling, return a tuple for the verbose word,
+    for example ``"rerun", "R", ("RERUN", {"yellow": True})``.
+
+    :param report: The report object whose status is to be returned.
+    :param _pytest.config.Config config: The pytest config object.
+
+    Stops at first non-None result, see :ref:`firstresult`.
+    """
 
 
 def pytest_terminal_summary(terminalreporter, exitstatus, config):
diff --git a/testing/test_terminal.py b/testing/test_terminal.py
index 38ca1957a..88d564519 100644
--- a/testing/test_terminal.py
+++ b/testing/test_terminal.py
@@ -306,6 +306,29 @@ class TestTerminal:
         tr.rewrite("hey", erase=True)
         assert f.getvalue() == "hello" + "\r" + "hey" + (6 * " ")
 
+    def test_report_teststatus_explicit_markup(
+        self, testdir: Testdir, color_mapping
+    ) -> None:
+        """Test that TerminalReporter handles markup explicitly provided by
+        a pytest_report_teststatus hook."""
+        testdir.monkeypatch.setenv("PY_COLORS", "1")
+        testdir.makeconftest(
+            """
+            def pytest_report_teststatus(report):
+                return 'foo', 'F', ('FOO', {'red': True})
+        """
+        )
+        testdir.makepyfile(
+            """
+            def test_foobar():
+                pass
+        """
+        )
+        result = testdir.runpytest("-v")
+        result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
+            color_mapping.format_for_fnmatch(["*{red}FOO{reset}*"])
+        )
+
 
 class TestCollectonly:
     def test_collectonly_basic(self, testdir):