ruddy
Americanadjective
-
of or having a fresh, healthy red color.
a ruddy complexion.
-
red or reddish.
-
British Slang. damned.
a ruddy fool.
adverb
adjective
-
(of the complexion) having a healthy reddish colour, usually resulting from an outdoor life
-
coloured red or pink
a ruddy sky
adverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ruddy
before 1100; Middle English rudi, Old English rudig. See rudd, -y 1
Explanation
Ruddy is used to describe something that is reddish — like the color of red hair, tomatoes, or a friend's cheeks on a cold winter's day. Ruddy is commonly used to describe someone's complexion. In this case, it describes a healthy, reddish glow. If you're normally pale, your skin might have a ruddy tone from working outside. You may hear someone use ruddy as a negative adjective, as well. In Britain it is a substitute for words like bloody or darn: "The ruddy door is stuck again. I'm going to take an axe to it!"
Vocabulary lists containing ruddy
List 7
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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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.
Training her sights on a ruddy Sean Penn, Glaser remarked on Hollywood’s obsession with looking younger.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026
The neighbor was a man in his early 40s, slim with jet-black hair, narrow eyes, and ruddy skin.
From Slate • Feb. 10, 2025
Blue eyes, ruddy complexion and light brown hair, he reminded her of her grandmother.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 8, 2024
The mineral cave decor — epsomite, mirabilite, sulfate — rusts into the ruddy orange of iron oxide, the deep black of manganese.
From Salon • Oct. 7, 2023
“An’ them dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an’ all,” said Hagrid, with a sudden shudder.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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.
