Meaning & use

red eye symbolism

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˌred ˈaɪ ˈsɪmbəlɪzəm/
US/ˌred ˈaɪ ˈsɪmbəlɪzəm/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The use of red eyes in art, dreams, or stories to represent danger, evil, or strong emotion.

    Grammar: Uncountable; often used with 'the' or in phrases like 'the symbolism of red eyes'.

    Patterns

    • red eye symbolism in something
    • the symbolism of red eyes
    • red eye symbolism represents something

    In many horror films, red eye symbolism is used to show that a character is possessed.

    The red eye symbolism in the painting suggests anger and violence.

    Dream analysts sometimes discuss red eye symbolism as a sign of hidden rage.

  2. noununcountable

    The meaning of red eyes in a particular culture or context, such as tiredness, crying, or supernatural power.

    Grammar: Often followed by 'of' or 'in': 'the red eye symbolism of the ancient mask'.

    Patterns

    • the red eye symbolism of something
    • red eye symbolism in a culture

    The red eye symbolism of the wolf in that myth stands for hunger and revenge.

    Different cultures have different red eye symbolism; in some, it means crying, in others, magic.

Common combinations

red eye symbolism in film
The director used red eye symbolism in film to make the villain seem inhuman.
the red eye symbolism of dreams
She wrote an essay on the red eye symbolism of dreams.
discuss red eye symbolism
The class discussed red eye symbolism in Gothic literature.
red eye symbolism represents evil
In many stories, red eye symbolism represents evil or corruption.

Synonyms and how they differ

the symbolism of red eyes
This is a more descriptive phrase with the same meaning; 'red eye symbolism' is more compact and often used as a topic label.

Commonly confused: red eye symbolism or red-eye?

red eye symbolism vs red-eye

'Red-eye' (with a hyphen) usually refers to a late-night flight or the red glare in flash photography. 'Red eye symbolism' is about the symbolic meaning of red eyes, not about travel or photos.

Practice

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