red-light

1 of 2

adjective

ˈred-ˈlīt 

variants or less commonly red light

: relating to or being an area with many brothels or sex workers

Just inside the entrance to "Picasso Érotique," the exhibition's designer has recreated an imagined bordello bedroom as one might have existed in the red-light district of Barcelona in the era of Picasso's youth.

—Arthur C. Danto

In the beginning, entertainment ran more along the lines of saloons, card games and red light activities.

—Jennifer Houghton

red light

2 of 2

noun

: a warning signal

especially : a red traffic signal

Synonyms of red-light

Noun

• warning
• red flag
• sign
• handwriting on the wall

Examples of red-light in a Sentence

Noun

the reporter took her glower as a red light and stopped asking questions

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Don’t miss out on rare deals like this red-light mask, True Botanicals face oil, and swanky coffee maker. —Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025

There is a cafe and spa, but future plans include an on-site hotel, additional mineral water-fed pools, forest-bathing areas, and more spa services like saltwater floating pools and red-light therapy. —Lauren Jones, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2025

Noun

Cameras feed live images into an AI model that can spot issues such as vehicles edging past stop lines, pedestrians crossing red lights, or cyclists drifting into unsafe zones. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 6 Dec. 2025

CurrentBody isn’t new to the red light game. —Polly Blitzer, Allure, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1878, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for red-light

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight