red

The word “red” means having the color of blood, ripe strawberries, or a stop light. In plain terms, the color of blood and fire, or (informally/historically) a term for communists.

“Red” is pronounced rehd (/ɹɛd/ in IPA).

Here is “red” used in a sentence: “She wore a bright red dress to the party.”

Words with a similar meaning to “red” include carmine, cinnabar, claret, crimson, rosé and scarlet.

The opposite of “red” — its antonyms — are nonred, unred and antired.

Depending on how it is used, “red” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “red” comes from Ancient Greek. From Old English read, from Proto-Germanic raudaz — related to Latin ruber and Ancient Greek eruthros, both also meaning "red.".

“Red” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

On the colour wheel, red's opposite — its complementary colour — is green, which sits directly across from it and makes red look more vivid when placed beside it. In light, red's opposite is cyan. There is no true 'antonym' for a colour, but green is red's natural counterpart.

Red is a primary colour, so in traditional paint mixing it cannot be made by combining other colours. In the printing model, however, magenta and yellow together produce red. Mixing red with white gives pink, with blue gives purple, and with yellow gives orange.

Red carries strong, often opposite meanings. It signals love, passion and warmth, but also danger, anger and warning — think of hearts and roses versus stop signs and alarms. Culturally it can mean luck and celebration, as in China, or debt, as in being 'in the red.' Context decides its message.

Red is a pure, primary colour with the deep shade of blood or ripe strawberries. Pink is red lightened with white, giving a paler, softer tone. So pink is essentially a tint of red — the same hue family, just less intense and lighter in appearance.