English Explanatory Dictionary

ruddy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Reddish in color, especially of the face, fire, or sky.
  2. Robust and vigorous, like a person with a red complexion (as compared to a pale one).
  3. A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.
adv
  1. A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.
noun
  1. A ruddy duck.
  2. A ruddy ground dove.
verb
  1. To make reddish in colour.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈɹʌdi/ en-us-ruddy.ogg en-au-ruddy.ogg

Word forms

ruddy ruddier ruddiest ruddies ruddying ruddied

Etymology

From Middle English ruddy, rody, rudi, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu (“redness”), equivalent to rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”). The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.

Synonyms

bally bleeding blimming bloody blooming rosy

Derived words

ruddily ruddiness ruddy diver ruddyish ruddy Nora ruddy shelduck ruddy-tailed flycatcher ruddy turnstone
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