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.
The red light and a siren from a cop.
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026
Investors were surprised by the timing of the shake-up and are viewing it as a flashing red light, fearing Jordan will scrap long-term growth targets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 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
As she drove, Nali kept staring at her watch every time they hit a stop sign or red light.
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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
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
“We did a study to evaluate what happened after some of these large cities in the United States turned off their red-light camera programs,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
The beauty industry is offering up a bevy of solutions, including creams and massage rollers, lubricated silicon masks and even futuristic-looking LED red-light collars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
So, quick as a flash she picked up the red-light standing near, and started down the track.
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
There, guests including Diane Kruger, Jessica Alba and Rachel Zoe mingled inside a giant red-lighted replica of a black Chanel 2.55 handbag.
From New York Times ● Aug. 3, 2012
If a red-lighted darkness is necessary to an operator's successful development of photographic film, then I could hardly object to a blue-lighted darkness for the development of the Swami's effects.
From Sense from Thought Divide by Dongen, H. R. van
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.
