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red currant

red currant

3.9
A deep berry red color often used for clothes and makeup
  • noun
  • /rɛd ˈkɜrənt/
translation icon : color grosella
  • The dress was a stunning red currant color.

Examples

  • She bought a red currant lipstick to match her autumn coat and nail polish.

  • The designer recommended red currant curtains to warm the otherwise neutral living room.

  • The interior palette featured a bold red currant shade on the feature wall.

  • She painted her nails a bright red currant shade.

  • The interior palette featured a bold red currant shade on the feature wall.

  • She bought a red currant lipstick to match her autumn coat and nail polish.

  • The designer recommended red currant curtains to warm the otherwise neutral living room.

Synonyms

cherry
vsred currant
15 1.0

A deep bright red color like ripe cherries

is more berry-focused and less simply bright or generic
dark red
vsred currant
8 1.0

A deep red color that is not bright

adds a berry-like color quality rather than only darkness
cherry red
vsred currant
1 1.6

A bright, deep red like ripe cherries

leans toward berry tones rather than general bright red shades
claret
vsred currant
  • UK
1 7.4

A dark purple-red colour like red wine

is warmer and more fruit-based rather than purplish wine-toned
raspberry-red
vsred currant
3.4

A deep red color like fresh raspberries

is more berry-like rather than wine or brown toned
red Bordeaux
vsred currant
4.2

A deep wine-red color often used for clothes and rooms

is berry-inspired rather than specifically wine-inspired in tone
Venetian red
vsred currant
7.7

A deep warm red with a slight brown tone

is fresher and fruitier rather than warm brown or earthy

How Red

scarlet
35 2.3
crimson
58 3.4
red currant
3.9
pink
43 1.0
rose
1.5

Surface Forms

red currant singular
red currants plural

Morphology

red + currant

The meaning is directly compositional: it refers to the red color of the currant fruit, so combining 'red' (a color) with 'currant' (a small red berry) yields a predictable shade name. Naming colors after objects or foods (e.g., lemon yellow, olive green, cherry red) is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will very likely infer this meaning.

Etymology

Red currant as a color name comes from the berry's bright red shade. Designers and makeup makers borrowed that berry color, so today red currant means 'a deep, berry-like shade of red'.