Red is a pretty popular color and is used over and over again in the English language. Sometimes it gets a little tiring saying red all the time, and one may want to mix things up and use another word to describe something that is red.
Some may also be surprised to learn that “red” can refer to more than just a color. With that in mind here are some definitions and synonyms for red.
Red
is a color at the end of the color spectrum. It is next to orange, and the opposite of violet. Some common things that are red, are blood, rubies, strawberries, and tomatoes.
- Please add five bright red apples to the grocery list.
- I am going to the store to purchase a red coat for my sister’s birthday present.
1. Scarlet
is a very brilliant or bright red. Red is an eye catching color, but scarlet red may be the most noticeable color. Scarlet is sometimes associated with a red burn or some other kind of ailment that would cause skin to become red.
That’s because scarlet can also refer to something that is wicked, so a scarlet red is sometimes described as an angry red. However scarlet isn’t always used in a negative way. It can just mean that something is a very bright color.
- The bruise on her arm was an angry scarlet color.
- She was very proud and very excited about her new scarlet shoes.
2. Crimson
is a deep rich red color that starts to lean towards purple. Crimson is still very much red, but it is a dark red that starts to get close to purple on the color wheel. It can refer to the color of an object and it can also be used to discuss someone’s face being red or the color of a bruise.
- Her dress was a beautiful crimson.
- When the teacher called on him, his face turned a deep crimson, because he didn’t know the answer.
3. Ruby
is both the name of a color and the name of a precious stone. The color of the stone ranges from deep crimson to pale pink. When ruby is used as a color it refers to a deep red. This word is often used to describe someone’s cheeks, especially a child’s.
- The little boy’s cheeks were ruby red because of the cold.
- Her nails were ruby red, and they matched her ring perfectly.
Red
can also refer to the appearance of someone’s face, in particular their cheeks. This word is often used to describe how someone looks when they are reacting to being embarrassed or angry. It can also be used to refer to a healthy glow.
- Her face was beet red when the note that she had written to her crush was read out loud.
- It was always easy to tell when he was getting angry because his face would start to get red.
Here are some other ways to say this.
4. Flushed
refers to the pinkish red color that appears on someone’s face. This can be due to strong emotions, illness, excitement, weather or exercise.
- It was such a hot and humid day that her skin was flushed after being outside for just a few moments.
- His mom looked worriedly at his warm flushed skin.
5. Reddish
refers to something that is only slightly red. This word is also used to describe someone’s appearance, although it can also be used to describe an object. If someone’s skin is reddish, it is usually due to an injury, emotion, illness, or the weather.
- Her shin was reddish after she made that spectacular tackle.
- His forearm was reddish from the volleyball hitting it so forcefully.
Red
can also refer to the way that a person’s eyes look. When someone’s eyes are red, it’s due to some sort of irritation. It could be from lack of sleep, heavy drinking, dry eyes or another irritation.
- After being up for over a day her eyes were red and in desperate need of sleep.
- Stop scratching your eyes, you’ll make them red.
Here’s the most common synonyms for this definition of red.
6. Bloodshot
eyes occur when one’s eyes are inflamed. This is usually due to a person being tired. It can also happen when someone has had too much to drink.
- When she saw that his eyes were bloodshot, she knew he’s been out at the pub all night.
- Her bloodshot eyes were a sign that it was time for her contacts to come out and for her to go to bed.
