redder; reddest
1
a
: of the color red
a red rose
red tomatoes
I stopped at the red light.
b
: having red as a distinguishing color
He was captain of the red team.
2
a(1)
: flushed especially with anger or embarrassment
Her red face made clear that his remark was cruel.
(3)
: being or having skin tinged with red due to inflammation
The wound was red and swollen.
Her skin was red from hours in the sun.
(4)
offensive
: being or having skin of a coppery hue
b
: bloodshot
eyes red from crying
d
: tinged with red : reddish
a red sky/sunrise
red wine
red onions/potatoes
3
: heated to redness : glowing
red coals
4
a
: inciting or endorsing radical social or political change especially by force
b
often Red
: communist
c
often Red
: of or relating to a communist country and especially to the former Soviet Union
5
US politics
: tending to support Republican candidates or policies
Some choices are easy. You're either a dog guy or a cat guy. Red state or blue.—
Rick Reilly
compare blue sense 9, purple sense 3
Rick Reilly
plural reds
1
: a color whose hue resembles that of blood or of the ruby or is that of the long-wave extreme of the visible spectrum
2
: red clothing
the lady in red
3
: one that is of a red or reddish color: such as
a
: red wine
b
: an animal with a red or reddish coat
4
a
: a pigment or dye that colors red
b
: a shade or tint of red
5
a
: one who advocates the violent overthrow of an existing social or political order
b
capitalized
: communist
6
[from the bookkeeping practice of entering debit items in red ink]
: the condition of showing a loss
—usually used with the
in the red
compare black sense 7
7
physics
: one of the three colors (see color entry 1 sense 15) that quarks have in the theory of quantum chromodynamics
In QCD there is actually not just one type of quark, but three types or "colors" of quarks. These are sometimes denoted as "red," "blue," and "green" quarks …—Edward Witten
Edward Witten
reduce; reduction
Examples of red in a Sentence
Adjective
a shiny red fire truck
His face turns red when he gets angry.
Noun
The artist uses red to symbolize passion.
a lady dressed in red
the reds and oranges of autumn leaves
Recent Examples on the Web
Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
The compromises were not, in the end, ones that constituted red lines.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2025
On the mirror caps, Bannenberg’s team placed a graphic on each of the mirror caps—the red on the passenger’s side is green, while the driver’s side is red—to represent port and starboard on a yacht.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for red
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Consuelos suited up in Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs uniform, while Ripa nailed Swift's game-day style with a red-and-white windbreaker, denim cutoffs and a backstage pass.
—Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
The compromises were not, in the end, ones that constituted red lines.
—Kerry Brown, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Goji Berries Goji berries have a unique bright orange-red color thanks to zeaxanthin and beta-carotene, two antioxidants that protect the eyes and skin from oxidative stress and UV damage.
—Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 30 Oct. 2025
On the mirror caps, Bannenberg’s team placed a graphic on each of the mirror caps—the red on the passenger’s side is green, while the driver’s side is red—to represent port and starboard on a yacht.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for red
Cite this Entry
“Red.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
red
1 of 2 adjective
redder; reddest
1
: of the color red
2
a
: flushed especially with anger or embarrassment
b
: bloodshot
eyes red from weeping
3
a
: openly supporting sweeping social or political change especially by force
b
often capitalized
: encouraging, aiding, or furthering Communism : communist
c
often capitalized
: of or relating to the U.S.S.R. or a Communist country
4
: tending to support Republican candidates or policies
red states
redly
adverb
redness
noun
red
2 of 2 noun1
: a color like that of blood or a ruby
2
: one that is of a red color
3
: a dye that colors red
4
a
: a person who seeks the overthrow of a social or political order : revolutionary
b
often capitalized
: communist
5
: the condition of showing a loss
in the red
Medical Definition
red
2 of 2 noun1
: a color whose hue resembles that of blood or of the ruby or is that of the long-wave extreme of the visible spectrum
2
: a pigment or dye that colors red see congo red, neutral red, vital red
Geographical Definition
Red
geographical name
1
river 1018 miles (1638 kilometers) long flowing east on the Oklahoma–Texas boundary and into the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers in Louisiana
2
river in north central U.S. and south central Canada flowing north on the Minnesota–North Dakota boundary and into Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba
3
see arctic red
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