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red

red

380 1.0
Having skin that looks like the color of blood from heat or strong feeling
  • adjective
  • /rɛd/
translation icon : sonrojado
  • Mel Botvinick's round face turned bright red as he heard his own words.
  • red-faced

Again, if that's red, I'm going to be mortified.

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Examples

  • They were so red and so angry looking.

  • Look how red he is.

  • Look at her get all red.

  • But your lips are super red, so I'm going to.

  • And why your eyes so red, baby, I ain't got no sleep.

  • When Laura finally arrived, she was red-faced and out of breath.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Pat watched Emma and saw the two red spots high on her cheekbones.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • That's always so soothing, especially if you have irritated red dry skin.

  • As she spoke, her face turned red with embarrassment.

  • After running up the hill, I could feel my cheeks growing red from the exertion.

Synonyms

reddish
vsred
33 1.0

Having a slightly red color

implies a stronger facial colouring caused by feelings or physical effort
bright red
vsred
26 1.0

A very strong red colour that is easy to see

describes a facial or skin change from feelings or exertion rather than a paint colour
ruddy
vsred
15 5.3

Having a healthy red color, often on the face or cheeks

is used when the colouring comes from emotion, stress, or exertion rather than health
blood-red
vsred
12 2.0

A deep red like the color of blood

is about facial or skin colouring caused by emotion or exertion, not object colour
red-faced
vsred
10 3.4

Having a very red face because of anger or embarrassment

describes the same facial coloring but as the general state rather than a descriptor
ruby-red
vsred
3 3.4

A deep bright red color like a ruby

is about temporary facial colouring from emotions or physical effort, not permanent hue
reddened
vsred
1 3.6

Skin and eyes that are red from crying, exercise, or irritation

refers to that exact change specifically of face or skin from emotion or exertion
blushing
vsred
1 1.4

A person with a red face because they feel embarrassed or shy

covers the same emotion-driven facial colouring but more broadly for many causes
flushed
vsred
3.3

Cheeks that look red from strong feeling, heat or exercise

is the same facial change but named in general simple terms
blushful
vsred
  • Archaic
7.0

Feeling red in the face because of embarrassment or shyness

describes the general facial colouring but is less specifically shy or gentle
crimson
vsred
3.5

Being red in the face from strong feeling or hard effort

is similar but can apply to ordinary, less intense facial colouring
erythematosus
vsred
  • Specialized
9.9

Having red, inflamed skin that looks sore after irritation

focuses on emotional or exertion causes rather than medical inflammation

Antonyms

291 1.0

Has very light color and often looks sick or afraid

5 5.1

Pale gray in color because of shock or illness

Idioms

25 6.3

A business or person that owes more money than they have

red-handed
  • Informal
24 3.8

Caught in the act of doing something wrong with clear proof

to see red
  • Informal
10 6.8

To become very angry suddenly

Discovered while doing something wrong or illegal

7 4.9

Having less money than you owe

To give someone a very special welcome, like an important guest

3 6.9

To go out and celebrate by visiting bars or clubs

Remove slow official rules to make things happen faster

To remove official rules and extra paperwork that delay action

1 6.3

To go past a limit people set and cause serious problems

1 6.5

In debt because a business is losing money

to bleed red ink
  • Informal
7.8

To lose a lot of money over a long time

An unclear thing that does not help you understand or decide

To accept a painful truth that changes what you believed

To become red in the face when you feel embarrassed

Compounds

red flag
  • Informal
77 3.6

A sign that shows a problem or danger in a situation

64 1.0

A red traffic light that tells cars and people to stop

62 1.0

Wine made from dark grapes with the skins left on during making

red tape
  • Informal
55 3.8

Official rules and steps that are slow and make things difficult

46 1.6

An international group that gives food, shelter, and medical help in wars and disasters

45 2.7

A long narrow strip of red cloth laid out for important guests to walk on at formal events

41 2.0

Meat from animals like cows or sheep that is red before cooking

code red
  • Jargon
28 6.5

A very serious emergency that needs immediate action

26 1.0

A very strong red colour that is easy to see

24 1.6

A long, narrow sea between northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula

red alert
  • Formal
24 4.7

A strong warning that serious danger is coming and people must act now

red herring
  • Informal
23 6.7

A clue that leads people away from the real issue

red line
  • Literature
23 4.4

A limit in talks that must not be crossed to avoid serious problems

red carpet
  • Informal
19 3.4

Special attention and welcome given to important guests

red blood cell
  • Specialized
16 3.1

A small round cell in the blood that carries oxygen to body tissues

12 4.4

A financial loss shown in company accounts or budgets

12 2.0

A deep red like the color of blood

11 2.0

A long hot chili used fresh or dried to add spice to food

11 6.2

An overnight flight that leaves late and often makes you tired

10 1.0

An onion with red skin and a mild sweet taste used raw in salads

red-blooded
  • Informal
9 5.8

Full of lively energy and strong feelings

8 1.0

A deep red color that is not bright

7 3.7

A red cloth flown to warn people of danger

red giant
  • Specialized
7 7.2

A very large old star with a cool surface and much larger size than the Sun

7 3.9

A planet with a red surface that is fourth from the sun

6 2.7

A dark, strong red colour that looks rich

6 6.1

An area of a city where many people sell sex

red cent
  • Informal
5 6.3

A very small amount of money, often meaning nothing at all

5 2.4

Soil that is red from iron and becomes sticky when wet

5 2.6

A punishment in sports like football that sends a player off the field for a serious foul

5 3.3

A reddish sea fish often served as food in restaurants

5 4.1

Giving someone special treatment to show they are very important

4 2.2

A river in the southern United States that flows east from Texas along Oklahoma's southern border into Louisiana

4 9.2

A young person who supports Mao Zedong and takes part in political activity during China's Cultural Revolution

red dwarf
  • Specialized
3 6.4

A small star that is cooler, much dimmer, and lives a very long time

3 3.4

A deep bright red color like a ruby

3 3.4

An eye that looks red because it is irritated, tired, or ill

3 5.7

A red banner used as a symbol of socialist movements

red hot
  • US
3 8.2

A hot dog in a bun that is hot, often with mustard or onions

red tide
  • Specialized
3 6.8

Sea water that turns red or brown because many tiny sea plants make poisons that can harm fish and people

3 4.0

Full of strong feeling or interest

3 7.6

An occasion like a wedding or graduation that you remember as very special

2 1.8

A cabbage with dark red leaves often used in salads or cooking

red letter day
  • Informal
2 4.1

A day that is very special and makes people happy

2 1.7

A warning that something is wrong and you should stop or be careful

2 6.8

A British university founded in the late 1800s or early 1900s, not one of the older universities

2 6.6

Eyes that have red skin around the eyelids

2 5.5

A large North American bird that hunts small animals with a red-brown tail

2 2.3

A girl in a famous fairy tale who meets a wolf while visiting her grandmother

A bright red apple with a sweet taste often sold in shops

red shift
  • Specialized
2 7.2

Light from distant galaxies moves toward red light, showing they move away

2 8.2

A person in Thailand who supports a political protest group and wears red shirts

2 3.1

A small animal that lives in trees with reddish fur and a bushy tail

1 3.6

A late-night flight that arrives early the next morning

red panda
  • Indian
1 3.7

A small animal with red-brown fur that lives in trees and eats bamboo

Red Notice
  • Formal
1 7.6

An official Interpol request to arrest and return a wanted person

1 2.1

A red ground spice made from dried chili pods and seeds

A tall garden plant with long spikes of bright red or orange flowers

1 2.4

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

1 1.0

A very bright red color like fresh raspberries

Red Army Faction
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A left-wing group in Germany known for violent attacks to reach political aims

1 8.2

A German World War I pilot famous for flying a bright red plane and shooting down many enemy planes

red oak
  • US
1 4.6

A large North American tree with pointed leaves and red, strong wood used for furniture

1 8.6

A rare reddish-grey wolf that lives in the southeastern United States

1 1.0

A brown color with a touch of red

western red cedar
  • Specialized
1 5.8

A large evergreen tree with reddish durable wood used for building and furniture

1 1.6

A bright, deep red like ripe cherries

1 3.1

A deep bright red color like ripe cherries

A wild plum tree from eastern and central North America with red fruit and yellow flesh

red algae
  • Specialized
1 4.3

People use small red or purple sea plants to make foods like nori and agar

1 5.4

A very large evergreen tree of the Pacific coast with reddish fragrant wood

1 2.7

A short plant with red-purple flowers that farm animals eat and helps make soil richer

1 2.7

A large wild animal in Europe and Asia with reddish-brown fur and branched antlers in males

How Flushed

scarlet
35 2.3
red
380 1.0
pink
43 1.0
pale
291 1.0

Surface Forms

red positive

Etymology

Red for a flushed face is the same word as the color red and comes from the old root reudh meaning 'red'. When you are hot, embarrassed, or angry, blood moves to your cheeks and they look the color 'red', which is why we say your face is red.