Word of the Day - 03/14/26
sanguine
/'sæŋwɪn/(adj.): confidently optimistic and cheerful
Despite the setbacks, her sanguine spirit remained unshaken, always seeing the bright side.
(adj.): inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
The sailor's face, weathered and sanguine from years at sea, showed his robust health.
(n.): a blood-red color
The artist used a deep sanguine pigment to capture the dramatic sunset.
Word Origin
The word 'sanguine' originates from the Latin word 'sanguineus', meaning 'of or pertaining to blood'. This in turn comes from 'sanguis', meaning 'blood'. In ancient and medieval physiology, 'sanguine' referred to one of the four humors, blood, which was associated with a cheerful, optimistic, and vigorous temperament.
Words with similar origins include 'sanguinary' (meaning 'involving or causing much bloodshed', or 'eager for bloodshed'), 'consanguinity' (meaning 'the state of being related by blood'), and 'exsanguinate' (meaning 'to drain of blood'). All these words share the Latin root 'sanguis' (blood).