reddish
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does reddish mean? Reddish describes something that is somewhat red or tinted red, as in After washing my shirt hundreds of times, it’s gone from red to merely reddish. The color red is a primary color at one end of the visible spectrum and is the color of human blood. Something that is reddish is not fully red. Example: The sky turned a reddish color as the moon began obscuring the sun.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reddish
First recorded in 1350–1400, reddish is from the Middle English word redische. See red 1, -ish 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It may cause the full Moon - nicknamed the Sturgeon Moon - to take on an eerie reddish glow.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
In vast warehouses at the Kamoa copper mine in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, mountains of reddish rocks pile up as the machines grind away day and night.
From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026
When speaking to Salon, Thayil generously explained what colors he saw in Soundgarden’s “Jesus Christ Pose”: “The word ‘Jesus’ is orangish, with brownish and reddish tones.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2026
Surrounding the black hole is a dense population of older, reddish stars that create the galaxy's warm central glow.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026
“Excuse me. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was noticing your hair. It has reddish highlights when the sun hits it.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
