red
red — adjective
1. having the bright colour of blood, a ripe strawberry, or a fire engine
having the bright colour of blood, a ripe strawberry, or a fire engine
Adina bought a bright red car last year.
collocation: bright red
The ripe apples on the tree were a deep, shiny red.
Talia painted the front door red to match the bricks.
A red warning light appeared on the machine's control panel.
用法筆記
Can be used alone ('a red shirt') or intensified with words like 'bright', 'deep', or 'dark'.
常見錯誤
2. having an orange-brown or copper colour, used to describe a person's hair
having an orange-brown or copper colour, used to describe a person's hair
Nila has long red hair that her friends all admire.
The little girl with red curls sat in the front row.
collocation: red curls
Nikos dyed his hair red for the school play.
Many people with red hair have very fair skin.
用法筆記
Distinguish from adj/1: this sense ONLY applies to hair colour, not to objects. 'Red hair' includes shades from orange-brown to deep auburn.
常見錯誤
3. (of a person's face) becoming pink or red because of embarrassment, shyness, ang
(of a person's face) becoming pink or red because of embarrassment, shyness, anger, or shame
Putri turned red when the teacher praised her work in front of the class.
pattern: turn red
Aaron's face went red with anger during the argument.
pattern: go red with + emotion
Selim felt his cheeks go red as everyone stared at him.
Eri was so embarrassed that her ears turned red too.
文法句型
go red
turn red
用法筆記
Commonly used with 'go red' or 'turn red'. 'Go red' is more informal and often implies a sudden change. The face, cheeks, ears, or neck can be described as red.
常見錯誤
4. (of a person's eyes or the skin around them) red, swollen, or bloodshot from cry
(of a person's eyes or the skin around them) red, swollen, or bloodshot from crying, lack of sleep, smoke, or drinking alcohol
Soraya had red eyes after staying up all night studying.
collocation: red eyes
The smoke in the room made everyone's eyes red and watery.
Reuben came to work with red eyes and a stuffy nose.
Her eyes were red from crying after the sad movie.
用法筆記
Unlike adj/3 (face), this sense specifically describes the eyes themselves, not the face. Commonly paired with a cause phrase: 'red from crying / tiredness / allergies / smoke'.
5. holding very left-wing political views that support communism or extreme sociali
holding very left-wing political views that support communism or extreme socialism
The red flag was raised outside the government building during the parade.
collocation: red flag (political symbol)
Many red army veterans attended the annual memorial service.
compound: red army
The newspaper was known for its red political views.
During the Cold War, several countries in Eastern Europe were under red rule.
- conservative
traditionally associated with blue in some countries
用法筆記
Can be written with a capital letter (Red) when referring to a specific historical party or state. May carry negative connotations depending on the speaker's political perspective.
red — noun
1. a bright colour that is the same as the colour of blood or ripe strawberries
a bright colour that is the same as the colour of blood or ripe strawberries
Red is my favourite colour because it looks warm and energetic.
The artist mixed blue and yellow to make green, then added red for the flowers.
colour mixing context
Ada decorated the living room in shades of red and gold.
The traffic light changed from green to yellow and then to red.
用法筆記
As a colour noun, 'red' is both countable (shade) and uncountable (general concept): 'a warm red' vs. 'red is a primary colour'.
2. a person who supports communist or extreme socialist political ideas
a person who supports communist or extreme socialist political ideas
His grandfather was labelled a red during the political purges of the 1950s.
historical usage: labelled a red
The newspaper article called the protesters a group of dangerous reds.
During the Cold War, suspected reds were often investigated by the government.
Ines's great-uncle fled the country after being denounced as a red.
用法筆記
Often used as a disapproving or hostile label. Can be offensive. More common in historical contexts (especially the Cold War era) than in modern political discussion.
3. a situation in which a person, company, or organisation has spent more money tha
a situation in which a person, company, or organisation has spent more money than it has earned, shown as a loss in financial records
The company has been in the red for three years in a row.
fixed phrase: in the red
Mathieu checked his bank account and saw he was 500 dollars in the red.
If we don't cut costs soon, the whole project will go into the red.
Paul's small bakery was in the red for months before it finally turned a profit.
- in debt
more general term for owing money; 'in the red' is specific to financial records
- loss-making
adjective describing a business that spends more than it earns
- in the black
opposite phrase meaning the business is profitable
文法句型
in the red
用法筆記
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'in the red' or 'go into the red'. The opposite is 'in the black' (making a profit). The term comes from the accounting practice of writing losses in red ink.
常見錯誤
red — abbreviation
1. short written form of 'reduce' or 'reduction', used in notes, technical diagrams
short written form of 'reduce' or 'reduction', used in notes, technical diagrams, and inventory logs where space is limited
A factory safety note read 'red. speed to 30 km/h on wet floor zones.'
abbreviation in technical notes: red. = reduce
In the cookbook margin, Grandma wrote 'red. sugar by half for a less sweet cake.'
abbreviation in personal notes: red. = reduce
The lab technician's log read 'red. noise level by 3 dB using foam dampeners.'
The warehouse inventory report recorded a 12% red. in stock for winter jackets.
用法筆記
A specialised abbreviation found mainly in handwritten notes, technical diagrams, and inventory logs where space is limited. Rare in everyday English. Abbreviates both the verb 'reduce' and the noun 'reduction'.