ruddy
/ˈɹʌdi/ adjective, adverb, noun, verb, proper noun
Forms ruddier ruddiest ruddies ruddying ruddied
- adjective Reddish in color, especially of the face, fire, or sky.
- adjective Robust and vigorous, like a person with a red complexion (as compared to a pale one). “in ruddy health”
- adjective (UK, Australia, slang, not comparable) A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.
- adverb (UK, slang) A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.
- noun (informal) A ruddy duck.
- noun (informal) A ruddy ground dove.
- verb (transitive) To make reddish in colour. “The sunset ruddied our faces.”
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
rosy bally bleeding blimming bloody blooming rubicund florid sanguine red reddish blood-red carmine cerise cherry cherry-red crimson ruby ruby-red scarlet
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English rody, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu + -iġ. By surface analysis, rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”).
The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of a red color; red, or reddish; as, a ruddy sky; a ruddy flame.
- adjective Of a lively flesh color, or the color of the human skin in high health; as, ruddy cheeks or lips. Dryden. Ruddy duck (Zoöl.), an American duck (Erismatura rubida) having a broad bill and a wedge-shaped tail composed of stiff, sharp feathers. The adult male is rich brownish red on the back, sides, and neck, black on the top of the head, nape, wings, and tail, and white on the cheeks. The female and young male are dull brown mixed with blackish on the back; grayish below. Called also dunbird, dundiver, ruddy diver, stifftail, spinetail, hardhead, sleepy duck, fool duck, spoonbill, etc. -- Ruddy
- verb To make ruddy. [R.] Sir W. Scott.
Etymology [AS. rudig. See Rud, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ruddy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details