English Reference
Idiom idiom

blue state


A state of the United States voting Democratic in a given election, or tending to vote Democratic in general.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

California is a blue state.

My cousin lives in a blue state on the East Coast.

The news reporter says this region is no longer a blue state.

CONTEXTUAL

She moved from a blue state to a red state and noticed the political culture was very different.

Local leaders in this blue state are currently debating new laws to increase the minimum wage and expand public healthcare.

If you want to work in environmental policy, you might find more job opportunities in a blue state with strict green regulations.

COMPLEX

Though he had grown up in a blue state where progressive values were taken for granted, he found himself in heated debates with his new neighbors in rural Texas.


A compound of blue + state, derived from the use of the colour blue to represent the Democratic Party of the United States. It identifies a state that votes Democratic, serving as a subnational division or province-level designation within the American electoral map.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bellwether state

    A state of the United States that historically votes for the winning candidate in a given election.

  2. 02

    blue chamber

    A forbidden room.

  3. 03

    blue devils

    Low spirits; depression.

  4. 04

    blue moon

    A long time.

  5. 05

    blue note

    The flatted 5th scale degree in the blues scale.

  6. 06

    blue ribbon

    Highly superior in quality, style, substance, prestige, etc.

  7. 07

    blue wall of silence

    Strict secretiveness maintained by the members of a police force with respect to information which might be contrary to their interests, especially information concerning questionable police actions.

  8. 08

    bolt from the blue

    A complete surprise; something totally unexpected.

Last updated August 10, 2026