a red lamp, used as a traffic signal to mean “stop.”
an order or directive to halt an action, project, etc..
There's a red light on all unnecessary expenses.
a children's running game in which players must stop when “Red light!” is called.
a signal of danger; warning.
a signal to stop, esp a red traffic signal in a system of traffic lights
a danger signal
an instruction to stop or discontinue
a red lamp in a window of or outside a house indicating that it is a brothel
( as modifier )
a red-light district
First recorded in 1840–50
First recorded in 1895–1900
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At a work conference in Albuquerque, N.M., in May, Chang wore a small pin with a red light indicating it was recording.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The red light and a siren from a cop.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
When these particles collide with oxygen atoms high in the atmosphere, the atoms release energy as soft red light, producing rare auroras visible from the ground.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
The new offering will likely include an infrared sauna and a red light therapy bed, among other things.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
The truck is stopped, probably because of a red light.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
Singaporean photographer Aik Beng Chia used an image generator to depict the lives of transgender people in the city-state's Bugis street, then known as a red-light district, in the 1970s and 80s.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
They more than made it their own, with more branding than Hampden and further top-range components, including a red-light therapy chamber and an altitude room.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Sales of Korean beauty devices, from micro-current wands to red-light masks, are also booming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Soon I was using prescription shampoo, two topical serums, monthly steroid scalp injections, and a pricey red-light therapy cap that made me look like an alien.
From Slate ● May 23, 2026
Then he looked again and the red-light was gone.
From Danger Signals Remarkable, Exciting and Unique Examples of the Bravery, Daring and Stoicism in the Midst of Danger of Train Dispatchers and Railroad Engineers by Hill, John A.
Hagan advanced on a controversial call versus defending Countdown to the Championship winner Ron Capps, who red-lighted at the start.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2017
Models like the ones that red-lighted Kyle Behm continue to lock people out, even when the “science” inside them is little more than a bundle of untested assumptions.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 1, 2016
An enormous red-lighted Ferris wheel stands out, tawdry and proud of its daily victory over the slow-rising sun.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 7, 2016
Three-time track champion Tim Wilkerson red-lighted in the semifinals, allowing Bob Tasca III to win with a speed of 93 mph.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 5, 2013
Shall I fight him again—with metal digged from the earth, fashioned and sharpened in some red-lighted shop of the earth?
From Foes by Johnston, Mary
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.
