scarlet

1 of 2

noun

scar·​let ˈskär-lət 

1

: scarlet cloth or clothes

2

: any of various bright reds

scarlet

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of the color scarlet

2

a

: grossly and glaringly offensive

sinning in flagrant and scarlet fashion

—G. W. Johnson

b

[from the use of the word in Isaiah 1:18 & Revelation 17:1–6 (King James Version)] : of, characterized by, or associated with sexual immorality

a scarlet woman

Examples of scarlet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Amidst the pale and muted tones in the collection, the flashes of scarlet were impossible to miss. —Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 31 Jan. 2025

When its field goal attempt bounced off the left upright and fell harmlessly to the turf minutes later, the celebration continued inside a stadium dominated by a palette of fans dressed in Ohio State’s scarlet and gray. —Andrew Greif, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2025

Adjective

Joshua, a freshman studying computer science at Northeastern, wore a scarlet school hoodie in front of a blank whiteboard on campus. —Dan Greene, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

Shades of red have been prevalent since the fall 2023 season, with labels like Valentino, Carolina Herrera and Emilia Wickstead setting the scarlet trend. —Hannah Malach, WWD, 26 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English scarlat, scarlet, from Anglo-French escarlet, from Medieval Latin scarlata, from Persian saqalāt, a kind of rich cloth

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing scarlet

• scarlet fever
• scarlet king snake
• scarlet letter
• scarlet pimpernel
• scarlet runner bean
• scarlet sage
• scarlet tanager

Kids Definition

scarlet

noun

scar·​let

ˈskär-lət

1

: scarlet cloth or clothes

2

: a bright red

scarlet adjective