crimson
Americannoun
verb
-
to make or become crimson
-
(intr) to blush
Other Word Forms
- crimsonly adverb
- crimsonness noun
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Frindle
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Red
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
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
But by now in early January those crimson leaves are probably already looking crumpled.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
Up close, the bright crimson relief-sculpture is revealed to feature hand-brushed red enamel paint over paper.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
“It actually doesn’t hurt that much,” Althouse said, as Soria pokes her arm with a needle that was just dipped into a pot of crimson ink.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025
Clare raced over the uneven ground, hurtling through the south woods, where the world blazed with crimson light.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
