red
1any of various colors resembling the color of blood; the primary color at one extreme end of the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 610 and 780 nanometers.
something red.
Often Red .Older Slang: Usually Disparaging. a radical leftist in politics, especially a Communist.
Informal. red light (def. 1).
Informal. red wine: a glass of red.
Also called red bird, red devil, red doll .Slang. a capsule of the drug secobarbital, usually red in color: He was caught with a half dozen reds in the bottom of his pack of cigarettes.
of the color red; of or like the color of blood: a red rose.
reddish purple in color: red wine made from purple grapes.
orange, golden brown, or reddish brown in color:red hair.
having distinctive areas or markings of red: a red robin.
bloodshot: red eyes from allergies.
(of the face) flushed or blushing, as from shame:cheeks red with embarrassment.
of or indicating a state of financial loss or indebtedness: the red column in the ledger.
Politics. relating to, supporting, or belonging to the Republican Party in the United States; Republican: This is big news in that it flips a red Senate seat to blue. : Compare blue (def. 20a).
Older Slang: Usually Disparaging.
radically left politically.
Often Red . communist: Red China.
Older Use: Disparaging and Offensive. relating to, noting, or characteristic of North American Indian peoples.
Idioms about red
in the red, operating at a loss or being in debt (opposed to in the black): The newspaper strike put many businesses in the red.
paint the town red. paint (def. 16).
see red, Informal. to become very angry; become enraged: Snobs make her see red.
Origin of red
1Other words from red
- red·ly, adverb
Words Nearby red
Other definitions for red (2 of 5)
Other definitions for Red (3 of 5)
a male or female given name.
a nickname typically given to someone with red hair.
Other definitions for red- (4 of 5)
variant of re- before a vowel or h in some words: redintegrate.
Other definitions for -red (5 of 5)
a native English suffix, denoting condition, formerly used in the formation of nouns: hatred; kindred.
Origin of -red
5Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use red in a sentence
Overall, blue states fare worse with a death rate of 63 per 100,000 people, but red states still have a relatively high death rate, by global standards, of 40 per 100,000.
Trump says US Covid-19 deaths would be low if you excluded blue states. That’s wrong. | German Lopez | September 17, 2020 | VoxIn other words, more than 90,000 deaths have occurred in red states.
Trump blames blue states for the coronavirus death toll — but most recent deaths have been in red states | Philip Bump | September 16, 2020 | Washington PostVenus has long played second fiddle to its redder, smaller, and more distant sibling.
We need to go to Venus as soon as possible | Neel Patel | September 16, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewWithout SDSU’s cases, the county’s case rate would be 6, solidly in the slightly better “red” tier.
Morning Report: The Dreaded Purple Tier | Voice of San Diego | September 16, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoWhatever you compare them to, Langsdorffia flowers are intricate, screaming red showpieces.
‘Vampire’ parasite challenges the definition of a plant | Susan Milius | September 16, 2020 | Science News For Students
Former red Sox star Curt Schilling says his politics are keeping him out of Cooperstown.
Conservative Curt Says His Politics, Not His Pitching, Kept Him Out of the Hall of Fame | Ben Jacobs | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTNor does the jet have the ability to capture high-definition video, utilize an infra-red pointer.
There was deep brown flesh, and bronze flesh, and pallid white flesh, and flesh turned red from the hot sun.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’ | Asawin Suebsaeng | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTA Republican candidate hoping to win red state support could find a worse team to root for than one from Dallas.
The pale, baby-faced, red-cheeked rapper is furiously puffing away at a hastily-made blunt crammed with low-grade weed.
The Cult of Yung Lean: ‘I’m Building An Anarchistic Society From the Ground Up’ | Marlow Stern | January 4, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTBeginners must be warned against mistaking the edges of cells, or particles which have retained the red stain, for bacilli.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddUnder the internal pressure his whiskers stood on end and his face grew red.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) Ogden“You appear to feel it so,” rejoined Mr. Pickwick, smiling at the clerk, who was literally red-hot.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2) | Charles DickensRipperda's eye fell upon the mantle,—it was discoloured a dark red in many places, he nodded his head, and the man withdrew.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterC was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face.
British Dictionary definitions for red (1 of 3)
/ (rɛd) /
any of a group of colours, such as that of a ripe tomato or fresh blood, that lie at one end of the visible spectrum, next to orange, and are perceived by the eye when light in the approximate wavelength range 740–620 nanometres falls on the retina. Red is the complementary colour of cyan and forms a set of primary colours with blue and green: Related adjectives: rubicund, ruddy
a pigment or dye of or producing these colours
red cloth or clothing: dressed in red
a red ball in snooker, billiards, etc
(in roulette and other gambling games) one of two colours on which players may place even bets, the other being black
Also called: inner archery a red ring on a target, between the blue and the gold, scoring seven points
in the red informal in debit; owing money
see red informal to become very angry
of the colour red
reddish in colour or having parts or marks that are reddish: red hair; red deer
having the face temporarily suffused with blood, being a sign of anger, shame, etc
(of the complexion) rosy; florid
(of the eyes) bloodshot
(of the hands) stained with blood, as after committing murder
bloody or violent: red revolution
(of wine) made from black grapes and coloured by their skins
denoting the highest degree of urgency in an emergency; used by the police and the army and informally (esp in the phrase red alert)
US relating to, supporting, or representing the Republican Party: Compare blue (def. 24)
Origin of red
1Derived forms of red
- redly, adverb
- redness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for red (2 of 3)
/ (rɛd) /
British Dictionary definitions for Red (3 of 3)
/ (rɛd) informal /
Communist, Socialist, or Soviet
radical, leftist, or revolutionary
a member or supporter of a Communist or Socialist Party or a national of a state having such a government, esp the former Soviet Union
a radical, leftist, or revolutionary
Origin of Red
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with red
In addition to the idioms beginning with red
- red carpet
- red cent
- red herring
- red in the face, be
- red tape
also see:
- catch red-handed
- in the red
- not worth a dime (red cent)
- paint the town red
- see red
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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