sanguine

adjective

san·guine | \ ˈsaŋ-gwən

Essential Meaning of sanguine

formal : confident and hopeful She has a sanguine disposition/temperament. He is sanguine about the company's future.

Full Definition of sanguine

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : marked by eager hopefulness : confidently optimistic In the month of August 1994, Democrats remained sanguine about their chances at the polls …— John B. Judis A lot of attention also is being devoted to the development of vaccines to prevent genital herpes, although not everyone is sanguine about the outcome. — The Journal of the American Medical Association

2 : bloodred … the radiant heat from the cedar logs, whose sanguine colour made the silvered locks of his hair into a fantastic wreath of flames.— Elinor Wylie

3a : consisting of or relating to blood … some sanguine vessels are obstructed, and distended …— Theophilus Lobb

b : bloodthirsty, sanguinary … attacked by the sanguine … warriors of neighboring islands …— Ana Y. Ramos-Zayas

c : accompanied by, involving, or relating to bloodshed : bloody … from the numerous graves, including those by the barn, which our shells had destroyed; we realized what a sanguine battle it had been …— Frederick W. Wild

d of the complexion : ruddy She was all unnerved; her naturally sanguine complexion was pale …— Charlotte Brontë

4 : having blood as the predominating bodily humor — see humor entry 1 sense 2c An abundance of red blood was marked by a warm and sanguine temperament; whereas, an excess of yellow bile produced the choleric temperament …— Samuel Lytler Metcalfe also : having the bodily conformation and temperament held characteristic of such predominance and marked by sturdiness, healthy red complexion, and cheerfulness He conceived himself rather as a sanguine and strenuous man, a great fighter. — G. K. Chesterton

sanguine

noun

san·guine | \ ˈsaŋ-gwən

Definition of sanguine (Entry 2 of 2)

: a moderate to strong red

Other Words from sanguine Synonyms Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About sanguine

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Other Words from sanguine

Adjective

sanguinely adverb

sanguineness \ ˈsaŋ-gwən-nəs

\ noun

sanguinity \ saŋ-ˈgwi-nə-tē

, san- \ noun

Did you know?

Adjective

Sanguine has quite a few relatives in English. Sangfroid ("self-possession especially under strain") and sanguineous ("bloodthirsty") are consanguineous with sanguine. (Consanguineous, means "descended from the same ancestor.") The tie that binds these words is sanguis, the Latin word for blood. Exsanguination ("the draining or losing of blood"), sanguinary ("murderous" or "bloody"), and the rare sangsue ("leech") and sanguinolent ("tinged with blood") are also sanguis relatives. That's something you can raise a glass of sangaree or sangria ("a usually iced punch made of red wine, fruit juice, and soda water") to!

Examples of sanguine in a Sentence

Adjective He has been strangely sanguine about this, blandly ignoring the mounting evidence that dissident elements in the police are stirring trouble … — Allister Sparks, Washington Post, 9–15 Mar. 1992 How could a man of his caliber be this sanguine about a war we had barely begun to fight? He gave me the McNamara look, eyes focusing boldly through rimless glasses. "Every quantitative measurement we have shows that we're winning this war," he said. — Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988 Yet if there were sanguine expectations of war profits and unlimited booty from the Spanish empire, … those hopes were dramatically confounded … — Simon Schama, The Embarrassment of Riches, 1988 He does not pretend to be sanguine about our prospects. History itself, he reminds us, provides few examples of cultures as debilitated as ours which were not destroyed by the very forces they set in motion. — Gertrude Himmelfarb, The New History and the Old, 1987 She has a sanguine disposition. He is sanguine about the company's future.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Twitter, on the other hand, seems to be one of the most sanguine social media platforms on the topic of cannabis. — Vanessa Gabriel, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2021 Such sanguine conclusions are based on invalid methodologies. — Frank Van Gansbeke, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2021 Some critics have complained that his sanguine self-confidence is implausible, a ridiculous convenience to move the plot along. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2021 Biden's sanguine posture hasn't always been matched by his top aides, the official acknowledged, and progressive and moderate Democrats on Capitol Hill have been open in their skepticism of the other side -- and, in some cases, of Biden himself. — Kevin Liptak, CNN, 29 Sep. 2021 Yet Moore, who has been with the Forest Service for 43 years, the last 14 of them in California, seems sanguine about the future of forests and fire-prone towns — if Congress passes an infrastructure package with funding for fire prevention work. — Anna M. Phillips, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2021 Methamphetamine is a newer and pernicious problem here, and people would prefer to recall the town's more sanguine beginnings. — Thomas Beaumont, Star Tribune, 5 July 2021 Methamphetamine is a newer and pernicious problem here, and people would prefer to recall the town's more sanguine beginnings. — Thomas Beaumont, ajc, 5 July 2021 Most of the other Bolt EV owners CNN Business spoke with were less sanguine on the customer service issue. — Peter Valdes-dapena, CNN, 18 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The designs of Indian miniatures were first drawn in rough outline in charcoal, which was subsequently painted over with sanguine followed by a very thin coat of white priming. — Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2021 Yet on Wall Street, the scene is the other kind of sanguine: The stock has slipped into the red for the year. — Hannah Levitt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2019 But not all involved with the legal defense are sanguine that Giuliani can succeed where others have failed. — Gloria Borger, CNN, 20 Apr. 2018 Here, there are more than 90 options ranging from yuzu to orange sanguine, speculoos to fig. — Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 7 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sanguine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 Oct 2021

Cite this Entry

“Sanguine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sanguine. Accessed 28 Oct. 2021.

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More Definitions for sanguine

sanguine

adjective

san·guine | \ ˈsaŋ-gwən

Medical Definition of sanguine

1a : consisting of or relating to blood

b of the complexion : ruddy

2 : having blood as the predominating bodily humor also : having the bodily conformation and temperament held characteristic of such predominance and marked by sturdiness, high color, and cheerfulness