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Glite Dictionary
to roll out the red carpet

to roll out the red carpet

6 3.7
To give someone a very special welcome, like an important guest
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : dar una cálida bienvenida
  • The hotel decided to roll out the red carpet for the visiting dignitaries with a grand welcome ceremony.
  • literally rolled out the red carpet
  • rolled out the red carpet today
  • just rolled out the red carpet

So yeah, definitely they made a call and they rolled out the red carpet and I loved it.

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Examples

  • What have people done for you, or what do you do for your guests to roll out the red carpet and create an extra hospitable welcome?

    Blog text (2)

  • U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron angered the French last month when he said he would "roll out the red carpet" to wealthy French citizens and firms who wanted to move out and pay their taxes in Britain, where the top rate is 50% on incomes over US$235,000.

    Blog text (6)

  • So do not expect your company to roll out the red carpet while you list off your demands.

    Blog text (6)

  • I have some friends coming to town that I'd like to roll out the red carpet for.

    TMNT (2007)

  • Is the Prime Minister still intending to roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump?

  • We flew back with him to Switzerland in July, where his entire family rolled out the red carpet for us.

    Blog text (25)

  • They really rolled out the red carpet.

    Rising Sun (1993)

  • They rolled out the red carpet.

    The Founder (2016)

  • "David Cameron, the British prime minister, has offered to roll out the red carpet for French tax exiles."

    Blog text (24)

  • I don't think they're gonna be rolling out the red carpet for me.

    Reindeer Games (2000)

Synonyms

to roll out the welcome mat
vsto roll out the red carpet
  • Informal
1 4.8

Make someone feel very welcome by giving special care

gives a more ceremonial honored level of treatment
to fete
vsto roll out the red carpet
  • Formal
1 7.7

To honor someone with a large celebration or party

focuses on general special welcome rather than a party

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to snub
7 6.3

To ignore someone on purpose to show disrespect

How Special

to treat like royalty
  • Informal
5 3.9
to roll out the red carpet
  • Informal
6 3.7
warm welcome
31 1.0
to welcome
583 1.0

Surface Forms

roll out the red carpet infinitive
rolled out the red carpet past
rolled out the red carpet past participle
rolling out the red carpet present participle
rolls out the red carpet third person singular

Morphology

roll + out + the + red + carpet

The phrase literally describes unrolling a red carpet (roll + out + red + carpet), so learners can partially infer it means preparing a special path or treatment for someone. However the conventionalized sense 'give someone a very special welcome' depends on cultural knowledge of the red carpet as an honorific practice, making the idiomatic extension only partly predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Roll out the red carpet comes from the clear image of people literally unrolling a long red cloth for an important guest. Because hosts would roll out a special red carpet to show great honor, the phrase now means 'to give someone a very special welcome'.