What does ‘see red’ mean?
To “see red” means to become suddenly very angry. The phrase is 19th-century English; the popular link to bullfighters' red capes is folk etymology (bulls are colour-blind), but the imagery survives.
Origin
- The phrase is 19th-century English; the popular link to bullfighters' red capes is folk etymology (bulls are colour-blind), but the imagery survives.
How to use it
- Everyday description of anger.
- Example: When she saw the damage, she saw red.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.