rubicund

American  

[roo-bi-kuhnd] / ˈru bɪˌkʌnd /

adjective

1. red or reddish; ruddy.

   a rubicund complexion.

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rubicund British  

/ ˈruːbɪkənd, ˌruːbɪˈkʌndɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of a reddish colour; ruddy; rosy

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Other Word Forms

• rubicundity noun

Etymology

Origin of rubicund

1495–1505; < Latin rubicundus, akin to ruber red ¹

Explanation

If you tend to have red, rosy cheeks, you can be described as rubicund. An entire kindergarten class might be rubicund after an hour spent running around the playground. The adjective rubicund is a slightly old-fashioned way to describe someone who's ruddy-cheeked or who flushes easily. Your rubicund face might be evidence of the long hike you took earlier, or possibly give away your embarrassment at being unprepared for the speech you're about to give. The word comes from the Latin rubicundus, with its roots of rubere, "to be red," and ruber, "red."

Example Sentences

He was described in his Daily Telegraph obituary as being one of the most liberal-minded MPs of his generation with a demeanour variously described as "plump, balding and rubicund".

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2017

Some 350 cross-country skiers with rubicund faces from three days of playing outside were packed in the nave that caterers had transformed into a magnificent dining hall.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2013

Even the rubicund features and close-cropped white hair suggest a mix of military autocrat and merry patriarch.

From The Guardian • Dec. 8, 2010

When Winston Churchill entered, he was as pink and rubicund as ever.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of them was a rubicund giant with a strong Spanish accent, Father Jose Dulce Maria, whose name was familiar to Esteban Trueba.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende