blush

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/blʌʃ/
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Redness tied to emotion, with related uses for gentle rosy color, cheek makeup, pale pink things, and a first look before closer judgment.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • The case seemed simple at first blush.
  • She chose blush curtains for the bedroom.
  • The first petals blushed in the spring light.
  • The praise brought a quick blush to his face.
  • At first blush, the proposal looked expensive.

Similar words

soft pink
surface
rosé
glance
redden
look
rouge
go red
pale pink
flush

Meanings

Turn red from emotion

verb
emotion
neutral
To turn red in the face, or feel ashamed, embarrassed, or shy, especially when attention turns personal.

Usage

Use blush when the redness or feeling comes from emotion. Use flush for heat, illness, exercise, alcohol, or a broader physical reddening.

Examples

  • She blushed when the room went quiet.
  • He blushed at the unexpected compliment.
  • I still blush to remember the mistake.
  • The child blushed and looked at the floor.
  • She made him blush with one kind remark.
  • He did not blush at the accusation.
  • They blushed when their names were read aloud.

Common mistakes

Heat and alcohol are wrongly treated as reasons to blush when flush is the usual word.
IncorrectCorrect
He blushed after running in the sun. He flushed after running in the sun.
She blushed at the complement. She blushed at the compliment.
I blushed of embarrassment. I blushed with embarrassment.
He blushed red from fever. He flushed red from fever.

Similar words

flush
redden
color
crimson
go red
turn red

Become softly pink

verb
color
literary
To become softly red or pink, especially in a poetic description of light, flowers, or the sky.

Usage

Use blush for a gentle rosy change in descriptive writing, not for strong or harsh redness.

Examples

  • The eastern sky blushed before sunrise.
  • Wild roses blushed along the path.
  • A few clouds blushed pink at dusk.
  • The first petals blushed in the spring light.
  • The marble blushed under the sunset.
  • The hills blushed as the sun dropped.

Common mistakes

Plain red coloring is overstated as blush when turn red, redden, or glow is more natural.
IncorrectCorrect
The traffic light blushed red. The traffic light turned red.
The metal blushed with rust. The metal reddened with rust.
A bruise blushed across his arm. A bruise spread across his arm.
The warning sign blushed in red paint. The warning sign was painted red.

Similar words

glow
redden
pinken
color
rose

Redness in the face

noun
emotion
neutral
A sudden red or pink color in the face that shows embarrassment, modesty, shyness, or similar emotion.

Usage

Use blush for the visible sign on the face, and use flush when the redness comes from heat, illness, or exertion.

Examples

  • A blush rose in her cheeks.
  • He hid his blush behind the menu.
  • The praise brought a quick blush to his face.
  • Her blush gave away the joke.
  • A faint blush crossed his cheeks.
  • The apology left him with a deep blush.

Common mistakes

Heat, cold, and fever are often called a blush when flush or redness is more natural.
IncorrectCorrect
A blush spread over his face from the sauna. A flush spread over his face from the sauna.
She had a blush from the cold wind. She had a flush from the cold wind.
His blush was loud. His blush was visible.
The medicine caused a blush on his neck. The medicine caused flushing on his neck.

Similar words

flush
redness
color
glow
crimson

Makeup or rosy color

noun
beauty
neutral
A soft pink or reddish color, and the powder, cream, or wine associated with that rosy shade.

Usage

Use blush for cheek color, a makeup product, a pale pink shade, or, chiefly in American English, a light pink wine.

Examples

  • She brushed a little blush onto her cheeks.
  • The palette includes peach, rose, and blush.
  • A pale blush warmed the room.
  • They served a chilled blush with lunch.
  • Cream blush blends easily into dry skin.
  • The bridesmaids wore dresses in soft blush.

Common mistakes

Lip products, ordinary paint colors, and any pink drink are overcalled blush when a more exact word is needed.
IncorrectCorrect
She put blush on her lips. She put lipstick on her lips.
He ordered a blush beer. He ordered a rosé wine.
She bought a blush for her nails. She bought pink nail polish.
He applied blush under his eyes. He applied concealer under his eyes.

Similar words

rouge
blusher
pink
rose
tint
cosmetic
rosé

Soft pink in color

adjective
color
neutral
Soft pink or pale rosy in color, often used for clothes, decor, flowers, or wine.

Usage

Use blush before a noun for a restrained pink shade, especially in fashion, design, and wine labels.

Examples

  • She chose blush curtains for the bedroom.
  • The florist added blush roses to the bouquet.
  • A blush wine sat in the ice bucket.
  • The invitation used gray ink on blush paper.
  • He wore a blush tie with a navy suit.

Common mistakes

The color word is misused for any red object or forced into adverb forms like blushly.
IncorrectCorrect
She bought a blush red car. She bought a red car.
He wore a blush on jacket. He wore a blush jacket.
They painted it blushly. They painted it blush pink.
A blush rose is bright blue. A blush rose is pale pink.

Similar words

pink
rosy
rose
pale pink
soft pink

First impression

noun
judgment
formal
The first look or early impression something gives, especially in the phrase at first blush.

Usage

Use blush mainly in at first blush for how something seems before closer thought.

Examples

  • At first blush, the proposal looked expensive.
  • The case seemed simple at first blush.
  • At first blush, her answer sounded evasive.
  • The numbers appeared strong at first blush.
  • At first blush, the design felt too plain.

Common mistakes

The expression is weakened by replacing at with in or using it for a final judgment.
IncorrectCorrect
In first blush, the plan seemed cheap. At first blush, the plan seemed cheap.
At the first blush, the answer looked simple. At first blush, the answer looked simple.
At first blush, after months of testing, the plan failed. After months of testing, the plan failed.
The report's blush was detailed. The report's first impression was favorable.

Similar words

appearance
impression
look
surface
glance
view

Usage

Use context to separate emotional reddening from physical flushing, poetic color, cosmetics, color labels, and the formal phrase at first blush.

Common mistakes

Blush and flush are confused when heat, alcohol, illness, or exertion causes the redness.

Etymology

From Middle English blusshen, from Old English blysċan, meaning to glow or be red. Its deeper origin is uncertain, but it is related to Germanic words for shining or burning.

FAQ

What does blush mean?

Blush can mean to turn red from emotion, the redness itself, a pink cosmetic or color, a pale pink adjective, or a first impression in at first blush.

Is blush the same as flush?

No. Blush usually points to emotion such as embarrassment or modesty, while flush often comes from heat, illness, alcohol, exercise, or a wider physical reaction.

What is blush makeup?

Blush is a cheek cosmetic, often powder or cream, used to add a rosy or pink color to the face.

What does at first blush mean?

At first blush means at first appearance or on an early impression, before closer examination.

Can a sky or flower blush?

Yes. In literary or descriptive writing, a sky, flower, or surface can blush when it takes on a soft pink or rosy color.

What is blush wine?

Blush wine is a light pink wine, especially in American English, close in everyday use to rosé.

How is blush used in a sentence?

Natural examples include She blushed at the compliment, A blush rose in his cheeks, and At first blush, the answer seemed simple.

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