What does "red-faced" mean?
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see red, face.
Red-faced
adj
adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see red, face.
- Grammar: red-faced is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: abashed, angry, ashamed, blowzy.
- Usage evidence: The three-tufted, the cactus and the red-faced cannot live without increasing.
How to use "red-faced"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "red-faced" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "red-faced" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "red-faced" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "red-faced" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "red-faced" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abashed" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "red-faced", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see red, face.
"I suppose that nowadays the red-faced farmers, whose invariable topic (so a friendly guard who understood Welsh told me) was sheep and their prices, find their own cars or the buses more convenient than a Western Region main line for their short-distance peregrinations to market."
- 2 With a red face; flushed, due to emotional or physical causes.; embarrassed broadly
"A red-faced John edged his way quietly out of the room."
- 3 With a red face; flushed, due to emotional or physical causes.; inebriate broadly
"Coming home late and red-faced every night from the pub is not what I expected of you."
- 4 With a red face; flushed, due to emotional or physical causes.; angry broadly
"The customer gave a red-faced account of the argument with the waiter."
- 5 With a red face; flushed, due to emotional or physical causes.; flustered broadly
""I can't for the life of me think where I left the tickets!", she cried out, red-faced."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 With a red face; flushed, due to emotional or physical causes.; exhausted broadly
"He collapsed, red-faced from the effort, against the door jamb."
Adjective
- 1 (especially of the face) reddened or suffused with or as if with blood from emotion or exertion wordnet
- 2 having a red face from embarrassment or shame or agitation or emotional upset wordnet
Example
"The three-tufted, the cactus and the red-faced cannot live without increasing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "red-faced"?
Common synonyms include: abashed, angry, ashamed, blowzy, blushful, blushing.
How do you use "red-faced" in a sentence?
The three-tufted, the cactus and the red-faced cannot live without increasing.