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Indian red

Indian red

6.2
A warm red-brown color often used in paint and design
  • noun
  • /ˈɪndiən rɛd/
translation icon : rojo indio
  • She used Indian red for the sunset in her painting.
  • Indian red and ochre
  • Indian red and alizarin
  • Indian red and ivory

Examples

  • You can mix a shade close to Indian red by blending red and brown pigments.

  • The artist chose Indian red for the underpainting to create warm undertones.

  • The historic building was restored with walls painted in Indian red hues.

  • The walls were painted in a warm Indian red.

  • The artist used Indian red to add warmth to the landscape painting.

  • The old barn was painted a faded Indian red, giving it a rustic charm.

  • For the walls of her studio, she chose a bright Indian red to inspire creativity.

Synonyms

reddish-brown
vsIndian red
3 2.1

A brown color with a hint of red

is presented as a standard pigment name used in design contexts
red-brown
vsIndian red
1 1.0

A brown color with a touch of red

is a pigment name for paints and web design rather than a simple color mix
brick red
vsIndian red
1 2.4

A strong red-brown colour like the outside of a red brick

is a named pigment often used more generally and in varied tones
reddish brown
vsIndian red
1 2.5

A brown color with a slight red tint

is a named pigment used in products and standards rather than a plain shade
brownish-red
vsIndian red
1 2.3

A color like brown mixed with red

is the recognized pigment or color name used commercially and digitally
sanguine
vsIndian red
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A deep red color often used by artists for drawing

is presented as a pigment name used more widely in products
rusty-red
vsIndian red
1 3.4

A red color with a brown-orange hint like rust

is a pigment name emphasizing brown red rather than an orange tint
rust-red
vsIndian red
1 3.4

A reddish brown color like rust

is named as a pigment focusing on brownish red instead of rust tone
rusty-brown
vsIndian red
1 2.8

A brown color with a red tint like old metal left outside

is a general pigment name used in design rather than a descriptive rust hue
Venetian red
vsIndian red
7.7

A deep warm red with a slight brown tone

is a broader pigment name used in paints and web palettes
red chalk
vsIndian red
4.9

A soft red-brown material used for drawing lines and pictures

is the standard pigment name used across paints, cosmetics, and web
oxblood red
vsIndian red
5.9

A dark brown red like dried blood

is a standard pigment name that is usually less dark and more general
cinnamon-red
vsIndian red
4.4

A warm reddish-brown color like cinnamon spice

is a standard pigment name focused on brown red without the spice nuance

How Red

scarlet
35 2.3
red
1.0
Indian red
6.2
brown
939 1.0
tan
122 1.0

Surface Forms

Indian red singular
Indian reds plural

Morphology

Indian + red

This is a straightforward modifier + color noun: 'Indian' specifies a type or origin and 'red' names the color, so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it denotes a particular kind of red (i.e. a red associated with India or Indian pigment). The precise hue (reddish-brown) is a finer-grained detail but does not prevent the overall meaning being directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Indian red comes from one popular story about a reddish earth pigment that was once shipped from India to Europe. Painters used that deep, brownish 'pigment' in paint and cloth, so Indian red came to mean 'a warm reddish-brown color'.