red

[ red ]

/ rɛd /

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noun

any 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.

adjective, red·der, red·dest.

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

First recorded before 900; Middle English red, Old English rēad; cognate with German rot, Dutch rood, Old Norse raudhr, Latin rūfus, ruber, Greek erythrós; see rubella, rufescent, erythro-

OTHER WORDS FROM red

red·ly, adverb

Words nearby red

recusancy, recusant, recuse, recycle, recycling, red, redact, redacted, redaction, red admiral, red alder

Other definitions for red (2 of 5)

red²

[ red ]

/ rɛd /

verb (used with object), red, red·ding.

redd¹.

Other definitions for red (3 of 5)

Red

[ red ]

/ rɛd /

noun

a male or female given name.

a nickname typically given to someone with red hair.

Other definitions for red (4 of 5)

red-

variant of re- before a vowel or h in some words: redintegrate.

Other definitions for red (5 of 5)

-red

a native English suffix, denoting condition, formerly used in the formation of nouns: hatred; kindred.

Origin of -red

Middle English -rede,Old English -rǣden

Dictionary.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|Vox
In 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 Post
Venus 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 Review
Without 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 Diego

Whatever 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|DAILY BEAST
Nor does the jet have the ability to capture high-definition video, utilize an infra-red pointer.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
A Republican candidate hoping to win red state support could find a worse team to root for than one from Dallas.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Beginners 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 Todd
Under 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 Dickens
Ripperda'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 Porter
C was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for red (1 of 3)

red¹

/ (rɛd) /

noun

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 greenRelated adjectives: rubicund, ruddy

a pigment or dye of or producing these colours

red cloth or clothingdressed 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

adjective redder or reddest

of the colour red

reddish in colour or having parts or marks that are reddishred 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 violentred 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 PartyCompare blue (def. 24)

verb reds, redding or redded

another word for redden

Derived forms of red

redly, adverbredness, noun

Word Origin for red

Old English rēad; compare Old High German rōt, Gothic rauths, Latin ruber, Greek eruthros, Sanskrit rohita

British Dictionary definitions for red (2 of 3)

red²

/ (rɛd) /

verb reds, redding, red or redded

(tr) a variant spelling of redd 1

British Dictionary definitions for red (3 of 3)

Red

/ (rɛd) informal /

adjective

Communist, Socialist, or Soviet

radical, leftist, or revolutionary

noun

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

Word Origin for Red

C19: from the colour chosen to symbolize revolutionary socialism

Collins 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

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

red

Idioms about red

Origin of red

OTHER WORDS FROM red

Words nearby red

Other definitions for red (2 of 5)

Other definitions for red (3 of 5)

Other definitions for red (4 of 5)

Other definitions for red (5 of 5)

Origin of -red

Words related to red

How to use red in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for red (1 of 3)

Derived forms of red

Word Origin for red

British Dictionary definitions for red (2 of 3)

British Dictionary definitions for red (3 of 3)

Word Origin for Red

Other Idioms and Phrases with red