rosy
adjective
pink or pinkish-red; roseate.
rosy
1 American
[roh-zee]
/ ˈroʊ zi /
adjective
-
rosier,
comparative
-
rosiest
superlative
-
pink or pinkish-red; roseate.
-
(of persons, the cheeks, lips, etc.) having a fresh, healthy redness.
- Antonyms:
- pale
-
bright or promising.
a rosy future.
- Antonyms:
- unpromising
-
cheerful or optimistic.
rosy anticipations.
- Antonyms:
- cheerless
-
made or consisting of roses.
a rosy bower.
Rosy
2
American
[roh-zee]
/ ˈroʊ zi /
noun
rosy
British
/ ˈrəʊzɪ /
adjective
-
of the colour rose or pink
-
having a healthy pink complexion
rosy cheeks
-
optimistic, esp excessively so
a rosy view of social improvements
-
full of health, happiness, or joy
rosy slumbers
-
resembling, consisting of, or abounding in roses
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of rosy
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at rose 1, -y 1
Explanation
Use the adjective rosy to describe something that's healthy and pink, like a child's rosy cheeks or a rosy lipstick. A flushed face is rosy — it's the glowing pink color of a natural blush, and it implies good health. From this meaning comes the secondary one, "optimistic or lucky." If the future looks rosy to you, it appears that great things are going to happen, and if someone has a rosy nature, they're cheerful. Rosy is from rose and its Latin root, rosa.
Vocabulary lists containing rosy
Pink
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Excerpt from "The Little Mermaid"
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The World According to Humphrey
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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.
See Examples For:
Most of the rosy posts made some mention of the fact that Columbia House’s operation was unethical at best, but that the customer-service runarounds, unwelcome bills and general scuzziness had all faded with time.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
If inflation is factored in, sales were not quite as rosy as they look.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Tottenham's finances, despite the team's poor form, are looking very rosy indeed.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026
A rosy 2024 report projected the World Cup could bring more than $800 million to the L.A. region as 180,000 people converge on the area to sleep, eat and spend.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
The Incorrigibles joined hands and formed a circle, as you might do to play ring around the rosy.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Adrian Aceves, a physician living in downtown Washington, said he'd be staying in with his five-year-old mutt Rosy, "trying to distract her with treats and toys, and I will medicate her."
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Rosy sentiment was further boosted by a detente in the US-China trade war, with top leaders agreeing Thursday to walk back punitive measures that had disrupted international supply chains and manufacturing sectors.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
No one wanted to miss the show with Morello, so Rosy flew directly to L.A., and the group reconvened in a nearby rehearsal studio the day of the performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2025
Rosy projections of a robust recovery this year have not materialized.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2025
His well- intentioned remarks never came off, and even now, when the possibility of humiliation hung over them, Rosy was as indifferent as ever to his presence and directed all her attention to Gosling.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
The selling began overnight in South Korea after chip giant Samsung Electronics’ rosy earnings outlook failed to meet investors’ even rosier expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Previously, Goldberg wanted to see how AMD would do with the ramp of its MI450 graphics processing unit before taking a rosier view of the stock.
From MarketWatch ● May 6, 2026
The film’s portrayal of The Jackson 5 years aims for even rosier nostalgia, evoking memories of hearing a young Michael’s voice, cascading over the radio waves and into the hearts of millions.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
Things have been looking a bit rosier lately.
From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026
The makeup made her cheeks rosier, her skin more even, more alive.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
What Rice became has exceeded even the rosiest expectations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
“And yes, it has transcended even our rosiest projections.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
That was perhaps the rosiest take given for this story, but Judge hit on a theme repeated by several other players: the Mariners’ talented young core.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 6, 2023
Companies always try to put the rosiest spin possible on numbers when talking to analysts, shareholders and the news media on quarterly earnings conference calls.
From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2023
And not even the rosiest glasses could make my crop situation look good.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
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.
