red
rehd
Red (adj) means having the color of blood, ripe strawberries, or a stop light. Example: “She wore a bright red dress to the party.”
adj
1
Having the color of blood, ripe strawberries, or a stop light.
"She wore a bright red dress to the party."
"His face turned red with embarrassment."
"Stop when the traffic light turns red."
2
Having reddish-orange hair color.
"The girl with red hair stood out in every school photograph."
"My grandmother was proud of her thick red hair when she was young."
"His younger brother has red hair and freckles."
noun
1
The color itself, one of the primary colors of light.
"Red is her favorite color for lipstick."
"The painter mixed a little red into the yellow to make orange."
"Red and white are the colours of our local football team."
2
A supporter of communism or a left-wing/socialist movement, especially historically.
"During the Cold War, "Reds" was a common label for communists."
"My grandfather said the factory owner treated every union organiser as a red."
"In the old film, the senator accused his rival of being a secret red."
How to use red
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe color of blood and fire, or (informally/historically) a term for communists.
Common mistake
"In the red" means losing money/in debt, the opposite of "in the black."
Easily confused with
Common pairings
see red
red hair
in the red
red light
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like red.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- reds
- Comparative
- redder
- Superlative
- reddest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She wore a bright _____ dress to the party.
Etymology
From Old English read, from Proto-Germanic raudaz — related to Latin ruber and Ancient Greek eruthros, both also meaning "red."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for red
See all rhymes for red →Frequently asked questions
What does “red” mean?
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.
How do you pronounce “red”?
“Red” is pronounced rehd (/ɹɛd/ in IPA).
How do you use “red” in a sentence?
Here is “red” used in a sentence: “She wore a bright red dress to the party.”
What is another word for “red”?
Words with a similar meaning to “red” include carmine, cinnabar, claret, crimson, rosé and scarlet.
What is the opposite of “red”?
The opposite of “red” — its antonyms — are nonred, unred and antired.
What part of speech is “red”?
Depending on how it is used, “red” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “red” come from?
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.".
Is “red” a common word?
“Red” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the opposite of red?
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.
What colours make red?
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.
What does the colour red symbolise?
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.
What is the difference between red and pink?
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.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include red:
