red
red Lexical Profile
red Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of a color at the end of the visible spectrum next to orange and opposite violet, resembling that of blood, fire, or a ripe strawberry.
"She wore a bright red dress to the evening gala."
Flushed or rosy in the face or skin, as from embarrassment, anger, physical exertion, or sunburn.
"His face turned bright red when the teacher read his poem aloud to the class."
(Of hair or fur) having a reddish-brown, copper, auburn, or ginger hue.
"Both of the children inherited their mother's curly red hair."
American Designating or relating to a US state or voting district that predominantly supports the Republican Party.
"The candidate campaigned heavily in traditionally red rural counties."
• noun
The primary color at the longest-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, resembling blood or rubies, or any pigment or dye producing this hue.
"The artist mixed a warm shade of red with white to paint the sunset."
Red wine, made from dark-colored grape varieties fermented with their skins.
"We ordered a bottle of full-bodied French red to accompany the roast beef."
A financial state of owing money, operating at a deficit, or having an overdrawn bank account (especially in the phrase 'in the red').
"After three consecutive quarters of declining sales, the company found itself deep in the red."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Red' is a homophone of 'read' (the past tense and past participle of the verb 'read'). In American political discourse, 'red' refers to the Republican Party (conservative), whereas internationally and historically it is associated with socialism, communism, or left-wing movements.
• Rhymes for red
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'read', of Germanic origin and ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root '*reudh-' meaning 'red' or 'ruddy', which is also the source of Latin 'ruber', Greek 'erythros', and Sanskrit 'rudhira'.