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

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

Notice an uptick in aggressive driving behaviors like red-light running, speeding, tailgating, honking and cutting off other vehicles while on the road? —Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 23 Sep. 2025

Alarmingly, 41% of Y Combinator companies target low-priority and red-light zones. —Wayne Liu, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Noun

The microcurrent added a barely-there tingle, and the red light gave the session an almost meditative vibe. —Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 4 Oct. 2025

The only record under his name in Hillsborough is from 2024, a traffic citation for failing to stop at a red light. —Veronica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1894, 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