scarlet

/ˈskɑrlət/

/ˈskɑlɪt/

Other forms: scarlets

Use the adjective scarlet to describe things that are a deep, rich red color, like a robin's breast or a wild strawberry.

Some things are such a vivid shade that red doesn't seem to be quite accurate — scarlet is the perfect word to use for them. Blood is scarlet, and so are rubies and ripe cherries and some brilliant red roses. You can also use scarlet as a noun, to talk about the color itself: "My favorite painter uses a lot of scarlet." In the mid-13th century, scarlet simply meant "rich cloth," which might have been the color scarlet or some other color entirely.

Definitions of scarlet

1. noun

   a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge
   synonyms: orange red, vermilion, vermillion

   type of:

   red, redness

   red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
2. adjective

   of the color between orange and purple in the color spectrum; resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
   synonyms: blood-red, carmine, cerise, cherry, cherry-red, crimson, red, reddish, ruby, ruby-red, ruddy

   chromatic

   being, having, or characterized by hue