Dictionary

see red en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Possibly from the red flag used in some historic armies to signal the imminence of battle, or from the red cloth used to enrage bulls in Spanish bullfighting, or more generally from the idea of red as a colour of warning and danger. Compare corresponding idioms in several European languages: Danish se rødt, German rotsehen, French voir rouge, etc.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To become enraged, angry, or infuriated.
   • Nothing but his temper, the lack of self-control that made him see red . . ., had kept Jerry out of a world championship. 1920, William MacLeod Raine, chapter 22, in The Big-Town Round-Up:
   • "So help me, God," he cried, "when I think it all over I go crazy, I see red." 1901, Frank Norris, chapter 2, in The Octopus:
   • "It makes me see red when I remember these folk, Lady This and Countess That, declaring all the comfort they have had, and then leaving those who gave it to die in the gutter or rot in the workhouse." 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
2. (idiomatic) To receive a red card, and be dismissed from the playing field.
   • Kalinic later saw red for a rash tackle on Paul Scharner before Gabriel Tamas was dismissed for bringing down Diouf. 2010 December 28, Kevin Darlin, “West Brom 1 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 21 Mar 2025:
   • Diop, sometimes criticized for passive play, saw red once this season when he lashed out at a foe who kicked away his legs. 2005 January 26, Rob Hughes, “Soccer: Trio from Senegal is having a ball”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 10 Apr 2023, retrieved 14 Nov 2013:

Forms

Translations (32)

nb se rødt (to become enraged) · nrf vaie rouoge (to become enraged) · de Rot sehen (to receive a red card) · fr voir rouge (to become enraged) · hu leléptetik (to receive a red card) · cmn 勃然大怒 (to become enraged) · da se rødt (to become enraged) · fi saada punainen kortti (to receive a red card) · it vedere rosso (to become enraged) · bg изпадам в ярост (to become enraged) · bg получавам червен картон (to receive a red card) · it arrabbiarsi (to become enraged) · fi nähdä punaista (to become enraged) · hu figyelmeztetést kap (to receive a red card) · hu feldühödik (to become enraged) · cmn 吃紅牌 /吃红牌 (to receive a red card) · hu piros lapot kap (to receive a red card) · nl rood zien (to become enraged) · hu kiállítják (to receive a red card) · hu dühbe gurul (to become enraged) · hu begorombul (to become enraged) · hu haragra lobban (to become enraged) · es enfadarse (to become enraged) · sv se rött (to become enraged) · et marus olema (to become enraged) · is sjá rautt (to become enraged) · ga dul ar mire (to become enraged) · tr öfkelenmek (to become enraged) · hu figyelmeztetik (to receive a red card) · tr tepesi atmak (to become enraged) · af die aapstuipe kry (to become enraged) · de rotsehen (to become enraged)