reddish

American  

[red-ish] / ˈrɛd ɪʃ /

adjective

1. somewhat red; tending to red; tinged with red.

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reddish British  

/ ˈrɛdɪʃ /

adjective

1. somewhat red

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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

• reddishly adverb
• reddishness noun

Etymology

Origin of reddish

First recorded in 1350–1400, reddish is from the Middle English word redische. See red ¹, -ish ¹

Example Sentences

The tree, rendered in a rich reddish brown, appears almost upside down—the trunk descending from the upper left corner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Known for their reddish coat and white-tipped bushy tail, they are found across Europe, Asia, North America, and parts of Africa.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

“Those are my gold,” she said, because she uses those short ends to add reddish designs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Buried in the reddish soil of southern China lies latent power: one of the largest clusters of crucial rare earths is mined around the clock by a secretive and heavily guarded industry.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

Mine was reddish brown and my cheekbones poked out a lot.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore