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sanguine

SANG-gwin/ˈsæŋ.ɡwɪn/

Noun pluralsanguines

11 meanings of sanguine

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  1. 1
    hopefuladjective
    Feeling hopeful and sure that things will go well.

    The coach is sanguine about the team's chances next season.

    Mom stayed sanguine even when our flight was delayed twice.

    UsageSay sanguine about something: not very sanguine about the plan.

    Similaroptimistic, hopeful, confident, upbeat, positive

    Oppositepessimistic, gloomy, despondent, blue

    Note
  2. 2
    cheerful typeadjective
    In old medicine, having lots of blood, which was thought to give red cheeks and a cheerful, lively nature.

    The old doctor said the boy was sanguine, too full of blood and too fond of fun.

    What, what, ye sanguine, shallow-hearted boys!
    c. 1588, William Shakespeare, “The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus”Here, sanguine means full of blood and red-faced.
    Note
  3. 3
    adjective
    Full of warm, strong feeling.

    Similarspirited, animated

    Oppositephlegmatic

  4. 4
    red-coloredadjectiveliterary
    Having the same red color as blood.

    The sky turned sanguine as the sun went down over the sea.

    She wore a sanguine scarf that stood out against the snow.

    Similarblood-red, crimson, scarlet

    Note
  5. 5
    red crayonnouncountable or uncountable
    A reddish-brown chalk used for drawing, or a picture drawn with it.

    The art teacher gave each student a stick of sanguine for the portrait class.

    She sketched her sister's face in sanguine on cream paper.

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Origin

From a Latin word meaning "of blood", from sanguis, the Latin word for blood. Doctors long ago believed that people ruled by blood were cheerful and hopeful, which led to today's main meaning.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

  • Sanguine ultimately derives from a Latin word meaning 'of blood'. en.wiktionary.org
  • That Latin word derives from sanguis, meaning 'blood'. en.wiktionary.org
  • Historical humoral medicine associated a predominance of blood with a cheerful, hopeful temperament, providing the basis for the hopeful meaning. folgerpedia.folger.edu