see red
To become enraged, angry, or irritated.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I really see red when people talk during a movie.”
“He started to see red when his neighbor parked in his driveway for the third time this week.”
“The politician tried to remain calm during the debate, but he began to see red when his opponent questioned his integrity in front of the entire audience.”
disputed origin
The origins of the expression are unsettled, though several theories involve the more strenuous uses of the colour. It is said to derive from the red flag historically raised by certain armies to signal that battle was imminent, or perhaps from the red cloth used to provoke bulls in Spanish bullfighting. A more general explanation links the phrase to the status of red as a universal signifier of warning and danger.
The idiom is well represented across the continent, with corresponding forms in several European languages. These include the Danish *se rødt*, the German *rotsehen*, and the French *voir rouge*. Whether the metaphor rests on military signals or the arena, the linguistic result remains a shared standard for the onset of fury.
- 01
bleed red ink
To suffer from severe net losses.
- 02
clap one's hands red
To clap or applaud intensely.
- 03
cut red tape
To reduce bureaucracy.
- 04
for all the world to see
in plain view; clearly visible
- 05
have seen one's day
Of a person, thing, idea, etc., to be at the point in a life cycle or career of no longer being useful or effective; to be worn-out.
- 06
have seen one's last gum tree
Of a person, on the edge of death.
- 07
have seen this movie
To have experienced a situation which is the same as or similar to the current situation, especially with a sense of the unpleasantness or tiresomeness of the recurring situation.
- 08
I see, said the blind man
Expressing confusion.
Last updated August 10, 2026