1 ruddier | Definition of ruddier
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ruddy

adjective
rud·​dy | \ ˈrə-dē How to pronounce ruddy (audio) \
ruddier; ruddiest

Definition of ruddy

1 : having a healthy reddish color
2 : red, reddish
3 British —used as an intensive bellowed like a ruddy bull when she wanted food— Doreen Tovey
Other Words from ruddy Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about ruddy

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Other Words from ruddy

ruddily \ ˈrə-​də-​lē How to pronounce ruddily (audio) \ adverb
ruddiness \ ˈrə-​dē-​nəs How to pronounce ruddiness (audio) \ noun

Did You Know?

In Old English, there were two related words meaning "red": rēad and rudu. Rēad evolved into our present-day red. Rudu evolved into rud (a word now encountered only in dialect or archaic usage) and ruddy. Most often, ruddy is applied to the face when it has the red glow of good health or is red from a suffusion of blood from exercise or excitement. It is also used in the names of some birds, such as the American ruddy duck. In British English, ruddy is also used as a colorful euphemism for the sometimes vulgar intensive bloody, as English writer Sir Kingsley Amis illustrates in The Riverside Villas Murder: "Ruddy marvelous, the way these coppers' minds work.... I take a swing at Chris Inman in public means I probably done him in."

Examples of ruddy in a Sentence

She has a ruddy face. the ruddy surface of Mars

Recent Examples on the Web

 After being harvested, chili peppers are sun-dried until the long, tapering pods, some five or six inches in length, turn a rich, ruddy crimson color and take on a smooth, leathery sheen. — Jeff Koehler, sacbee, "Sriracha moves over for harissa to shine," 22 Aug. 2017 The large lagoons at the facility attract a wide variety of waterfowl species, including up to 12,000 ruddy ducks and over 5,000 northern shovelers during spring and fall migration. — Michigan Wildlife Council, Detroit Free Press, "Exploring Michigan’s Wetland Wonders," 21 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ruddy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ruddy

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for ruddy

Middle English rudi, from Old English rudig, from rudu redness; akin to Old English rēad red — more at red

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More Definitions for ruddy

ruddy

adjective
How to pronounce ruddy (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ruddy

: having a healthy reddish color
British, informal —used to make an angry or critical statement more forceful

See the full definition for ruddy in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ruddy

adjective
rud·​dy | \ ˈrə-dē How to pronounce ruddy (audio) \
ruddier; ruddiest

Kids Definition of ruddy

: having a healthy reddish color

ruddy

adjective
rud·​dy | \ ˈrəd-ē How to pronounce ruddy (audio) \
ruddier; ruddiest

Medical Definition of ruddy

: having a healthy reddish color a ruddy complexion
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