Meaning & use
reddish-orange
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Having a warm color that is orange with a noticeable amount of red mixed in.
Grammar: Hyphenated before a noun (a reddish-orange flame) and often written as two words after a verb (the flame was reddish orange).
Patterns
- reddish-orange something
- turn reddish-orange
The sunset painted the clouds a reddish-orange.
Autumn leaves of reddish-orange covered the path.
The rust on the old gate had turned a reddish-orange.
noununcountable
The color itself, a shade between red and orange.
Grammar: Used without an article when naming a color: painted in reddish-orange.
Patterns
- a shade of reddish-orange
The artist mixed a reddish-orange from two paints.
Reddish-orange is the typical color of the desert rock in the region.
Common combinations
- reddish-orange glow
- A reddish-orange glow came from the fire.
- reddish-orange hue
- The sky took on a reddish-orange hue.
- reddish-orange flame
- A reddish-orange flame flickered in the lantern.
- reddish-orange soil
- The farmland had deep reddish-orange soil.
- reddish-orange fur
- The fox had thick reddish-orange fur.
Synonyms and how they differ
- vermilion
- Vermilion is a specific bright orange-red pigment, so it is more precise than reddish-orange.
- rust
- Rust names a darker brownish reddish-orange, like old iron.
- coral
- Coral is a light pinkish orange and softer than reddish-orange.
- burnt orange
- Burnt orange is a deep, muted orange with some brown, so it is less bright than reddish-orange.
Word family
Commonly confused: reddish-orange or orangish-red?
reddish-orange vs orangish-red
This describes a color that is mainly red with a hint of orange, while reddish-orange is mainly orange with a hint of red.
Practice
Which choice describes a color that is mainly orange with a hint of red?
Choose one answer.
In a compound like reddish-orange, the second word is the main color and the first word modifies it, so reddish-orange is mainly orange.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reddish-orange”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.