crimson
Americanadjective
-
deep purplish-red.
noun
verb (used with or without object)
-
crimsons,
present (3rd person singular)
-
crimsoned,
past participle, past
-
crimsoning
present participle
noun
verb
-
to make or become crimson
-
(intr) to blush
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
crimsonsimple
-
crimsonssimple
-
have crimsonedperfect
-
has crimsonedperfect
-
am crimsoningprogressive
-
are crimsoningprogressive
-
is crimsoningprogressive
-
have been crimsoningperfect progressive
-
has been crimsoningperfect progressive
Past
-
crimsonedsimple
-
had crimsonedperfect
-
was crimsoningprogressive
-
were crimsoningprogressive
-
had been crimsoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of crimson
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English cremesin, cremesie, crensein, crim(e)sin, from Medieval Latin cremesīnus, ultimately from Arabic qirmizī, equivalent to qirmiz + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; see origin at kermes; see also carmine, cramoisy
Explanation
Crimson is a deep, vivid shade of red. You could describe flowers, blood, or blushing cheeks as crimson. The ruby red color crimson shows up brilliantly in nature, in the form of flowers, birds, and insects. In fact, it was an insect that led to the word crimson in the first place; an insect called kermes was used for centuries to make a deep red dye, which was called cremesin in Old Spanish and eventually became crimson.
Vocabulary lists containing crimson
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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Frindle
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Red
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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.
See Examples For:
"They even have make-up artists to help you," she said as she mounted a crimson superbike, wrapped her arms around her driver and sped off with a videographer in pursuit.
From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026
The dim crimson haze can be easy to overlook, but it is created by powerful activity taking place far above Earth.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
Chase Infiniti, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio's daughter in One Battle After Another, wore a sculpted, deep crimson dress which flared out beautifully at the bottom.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026
He moved the family business to Encinitas, where he bought 67 acres near the railroad and Interstate 5 and planted so many patented poinsettia plants that passersby were treated to crimson waves come November.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
Her blush deepened to crimson, and she turned away.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Sunsets will seem to happen in slow motion, the full pallet of pinks and crimsons and rouge-reds lingering for an hour.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2014
Decked in calm crimsons, blues and yellows, like their 13th Century counterparts, Mr. Saint's saints & sinners glowed from the glass with equal clarity.
From Time Magazine Archive
The ballet chorus, dressed in autumn colors as peasants, in regal purples and crimsons as court maidens, in severe white as swans, made a gorgeous frame for the principal action.
From Time Magazine Archive
The lines were angularly primitive, the colors warm turquoise blues, smoldering crimsons, emerald greens, rich topaz yellows.
From Time Magazine Archive
The towering tents are striped in white and black, no golds and crimsons to be seen.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
In perfect aesthetic juxtaposition, Gorey's costumes are funereal black, with ruby splashes in a proffered drink or a crimsoned pendant to accent the theme of Dracula's blood lust.
From Time Magazine Archive
Junior smirked, crimsoned under his tan, and refused to say.*
From Time Magazine Archive
Low in the west, the sun crimsoned the distant sky line and tinged with rose the gray of wan, far-flung billows.
From The Lash by Olin L. Lyman
Wrathful fire gleamed in his bleared eyes; the stubble of his crimsoned face seemed not unlike the rising hackles of an enraged dog.
From The Lash by Olin L. Lyman
The blubbery folds under his chin crimsoned with his cheeks in complacent self-esteem.
From The Argus Pheasant by John Charles Beecham
“Truly a beautiful sight,” the periodical opined, “in direct contrast with the expanse of white, whether appearing in thinly scattered patches, or crimsoning the hills and plains for miles around.”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 21, 2023
She lifted her head quickly, leaned back with hands caught tight in front of her, looked up into his face—her own crimsoning and paling as she took in the full meaning of it all.
From Erskine Dale?Pioneer by John Fox
The sudden crimsoning of Vi's cheek contradicted that suspicion instantly, and the woman corrected herself.
From Elsie's Widowhood A Sequel to Elsie's Children by Martha Finley
They crossed three or four fields in complete silence, the dogs scampering to right and left, the gale crimsoning their cheeks.
From Sinister Street, vol. 2 by Compton MacKenzie
The silhouette of horse and rider stood out stark, almost colossal, against the crimsoning skyline.
From In Jeopardy by Van Tassel Sutphen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
