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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

red flag en · NOUN

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see red, flag.
  2. (figuratively) A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong.
    • In the pre-cellphone world of the early '80s, my dad might have done a few things that today would raise a few red flags, but in truth cultivated a sense of independence. "I'm headed to the ballpark," he'd say, dropping $20 on the desk in a Chicago hotel room. "Take the El to Addison, your ticket should be at Will Call. Try to find the media room after the game or just hang around outside the gate or just meet me back here." 2021 June 19, David Vecsey, “Former Times Columnist George Vecsey Gets Tribute From Son”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 07 Jan 2023:
    • Evolved Ape investors noticed several red flags leading up to Evil Ape's rug pull. After the public sale on September 24, the announcements seemed suspiciously unprofessional and several of the leaders were not around anymore, one investor who requested anonymity due to the ongoing fallout from the scam told Motherboard. But they chalked it up to lack of experience at the time. "I don't think this giant storm was ever what was expected," the investor said. 2021 October 5, Ekin Genç, “Investors Spent Millions on 'Evolved Apes' NFTs. Then They Got Scammed.”, in VICE, archived from the original on 28 May 2023:
    • Improper formatting is a red flag that you should look for other problems with the data.
    • The first major red flag with Barbara was her use of emojis. After our second session, in which I listed my many negative qualities, she said my long-term mission was to accept myself – a statement she ended with a winking face. 2016 July 9, Angelina Chapin, “Text therapy: once my therapist sent me an emoji, I knew it was game over”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 May 2023:
    • These signals are increasingly sorted into the language of “green flags” and “red flags” – a discourse turbocharged by social media, where certain titles or genres are treated as instant proxies for someone’s values, politics or emotional availability. 2026 February 13, Emma Loffhagen, “‘His favourite book was by Jordan Peterson, which was a massive ick’: how books perform on dating apps”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
  3. (figuratively) A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong. ▸ A flag used as a signal that the race must be stopped immediately (and possibly restarted).
    • Typically, a red flag is used when it rains or when the safety of the clean-up crews is in danger because there is too much debris or oil on the track. 2005, James A. Vlasich, Horsehide, Pigskin, Oval Tracks and Apple Pie, →ISBN, page 177:
    • A red flag may be waved after a bad start or if a rider is injured. If you see a red flag, stop immediately and return to the starting line. 2017, Jill Sherman, Racing Personal Watercraft (Sea-Doos), →ISBN, page 37:
    • The race was punctuated by two red flags, the first caused by a pile-up on the pit straight, the second by a high-speed crash for Lance Stroll. 2020 September 13, Andrew Benson, “Tuscan Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims 90th win after incredible race”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 03 Apr 2023:
  4. (UK, figuratively, historical) A cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong. ▸ A flag formerly used by a railway guard to warn the driver not to start the train.
  5. A red or predominantly red flag symbolizing a left-wing ideological movement, such as socialism, communism or the labour movement.
    • Some chanted: "Pride, pride, national pride" and "Poland should be national not red or rainbow-coloured", in a reference to the red flag of the Soviet Union and the symbol of gay pride. 2018 November 11, “Polish government officials march with far-right groups to mark century of independence”, in The Daily Telegraph, archived from the original on 07 Mar 2023:
  6. (US, figuratively) Something that will enrage a particular person; a red rag.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
red flags Number=Plur lexicographic

Antonyms

green flag · green flag · green flag

Coordinates

white flag (colours of flags) · blue flag (colours of flags) · orange flag (colours of flags) · beige flag (colours of flags) · yellow flag (colours of flags) · chequered flag (colours of flags) · pink flag (colours of flags) · green flag (colours of flags) · black flag (colours of flags)

Deriveds

red flag knowledge · red flag law · red flag warning · raise a red flag · red flag in front of a bull · raise red flags · red flag to a bull · raise the flag and see who salutes · red flag day · red-flaggy · red-flag

Relateds

Hongqi

Translations (39)

es bandera roja (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · ms bendera merah (left-wing symbol) · fi punalippu (left-wing symbol) · it bandiera rossa (left-wing symbol) · es alerta (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · ca bandera roja (left-wing symbol) · uk червоний прапор (left-wing symbol) · de rote Fahne (left-wing symbol) · ko 적기 (left-wing symbol) · pam malutung bandera (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · de Warnsignal (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · yue 紅旗 /红旗 (left-wing symbol) · fi punainen lippu (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · hu vörös zászló (left-wing symbol) · nl alarmbel (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · ru кра́сный флаг (left-wing symbol) · cs rudá vlajka (left-wing symbol) · fr drapeau rouge (left-wing symbol) · te ఎర్ర జెండా (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · pl czerwona lampka ostrzegawcza (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · eo ruĝa flago (left-wing symbol) · sq flamur i kuq (left-wing symbol) · fi varoitusmerkki (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · fr mauvais signe (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · pl czerwona lampka (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · he דגל אדום (left-wing symbol) · ko 붉은기 (left-wing symbol) · ru кра́сное зна́мя (left-wing symbol) · tl bandilang pula (left-wing symbol) · ja 赤旗 (left-wing symbol) · de Warnhinweis (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · es bandera roja (left-wing symbol) · fr avertissement (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · cmn 紅旗 /红旗 (left-wing symbol) · pt bandeira vermelha (left-wing symbol) · es señal de alarma (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · tr kızıl bayrak (left-wing symbol) · fr signal d'alarme (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong) · hu figyelmeztető jel (a cue, warning, or alert; a sign or signal that something is wrong)