redden

American  

[red-n] / ˈrɛd n /

verb (used with object)

1. to make or cause to become red.

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verb (used without object)

1. to become red.

2. to blush; flush.

redden British  

/ ˈrɛdən /

verb

1. to make or become red

2. (intr) to flush with embarrassment, anger, etc; blush

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Other Word Forms

• outredden verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of redden

First recorded in 1605–15; red ¹ + -en ¹

Explanation

When something reddens, its color changes so that it looks red. In autumn, the leaves on some trees redden before they fall to the ground. If the sky reddens at dusk, you might remember the rhyme "red sky at night, sailor's delight." Pale people redden too, when they blush or flush with embarrassment. A child coloring a picture with crayons might redden the sky and shade the trees blue and purple. The Old English root, meaning "become red," is readian.

Example Sentences

Ever wondered why your cheeks redden when all eyes are on you?

From BBC • Jul. 17, 2024

From its color, Ellis and his colleagues knew at least some of its stars were mature, because they tend to redden with age.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 30, 2022

Saget could — and always would — pummel decency so vigorously, so joyfully, that our cheeks would redden while our hang-ups began to feel more and more ridiculous.

From Washington Post • Jan. 10, 2022

To redden and blow is to lose one’s grip on reality—the act of yelling is either played for laughs or it’s indicative of some pathological fissure.

From The New Yorker • Jul. 31, 2019

The woman watched the ends of the incense redden and turn grey.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck