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:
“That’s why the upside in stocks eventually hinges upon stocks’ ability to deliver on increasingly rosy earnings expectations — not just for the next quarter or two, but for the quarters to come.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
The rosy report gives the Fed more room to raise interest rates at its next meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Behind this rosy picture is the artificial-intelligence boom that is fueling an investment surge in the U.S. and rocketing exports in Asia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
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
Country Joe knew that the rosy scenario young peace protestors had in their minds—that you could just put down your gun and say “peace, man”—was not possible.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
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
Nicole Kidman and Rosy McEwen portray Patricia Cornwell’s famous forensic medical examiner in Prime Video’s “Scarpetta,” the first time the character has been on screen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026
As younger Kay, Rosy McEwen carries the past-set scenes, and could support a series of her own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2026
But cost might be a problem for others, and that's what worries Rosy Zhao, who lives in the city of Xi'an in central China.
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2025
Most of our conversation, instead, centered on Rosy Franklin.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
It may not feel like it—with all the news about more pressure on Americans’ wallets—but here’s some rosier data from the Census Bureau.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
But a rampant League Cup win against St Mirren, followed by four league wins on the bounce, and things look a bit rosier heading into Sunday's game at Ibrox.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
“The Dog Stars” is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel of the same name, which, in those naive, pre-COVID times, was received as a rosier take on Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The margin narrative overshadowed ServiceNow’s rosier view of its AI prospects, as CEO Bill McDermott said he expects $1.5 billion in AI revenue for 2026, up from a $1 billion projection before.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 22, 2026
His trademark purple complexion was even rosier than usual.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
A wave of pain is headed for major economies under the rosiest scenario.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
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
Still, if the rosiest projections hold, green hydrogen in heavy industry could reduce global carbon emissions by 5 percent, if not two or three times that.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2023
When West launched his Sunday Service campaign from a secretive Calabasas location in 2019, the backdrop wasn’t the rosiest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2022
She had two of the world’s rosiest, chubbiest cheeks, which no one could keep from touching.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
