Definition

Adjective: * Having a red border or edge, especially around the eyes. This typically describes eyes that appear swollen, irritated, or bloodshot, often as a result of crying, fatigue, illness, or irritation.

Usage

The adjective "red-rimmed" is used attributively, meaning it is placed directly before the noun it modifies, most commonly "eyes." It describes a specific physical appearance resulting from a cause.

Examples

• After the emotional farewell, she looked at him with red-rimmed eyes.
• The patient's red-rimmed eyes were a symptom of the severe allergy.
• He hadn't slept all night, and his red-rimmed eyes betrayed his exhaustion.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically or poetically to describe other objects that have a reddish border, though this is less common.
  • The old photograph had red-rimmed edges where it had begun to fade.

Variants and Related Words

• Rimmed (Adjective): Having a rim or border of a specified kind. This is the base form from which "red-rimmed" is derived.
  • She wore gold-rimmed glasses.
• Bloodshot (Adjective): (Of the eyes) inflamed or tinged with blood, appearing red. This is a close synonym but focuses more on the internal redness of the eyeball rather than the border of the eyelid.
• Puffy (Adjective): Swollen. Often used together with "red-rimmed" to describe eyes.
  • Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed from crying.

Synonyms

• Inflamed (when referring to eyes)
• Sore-looking (eyes)
• Weepy (eyes, informal)

Notes on Meaning

The primary and most frequent meaning of "red-rimmed" refers to the physical state of a person's eyes, strongly implying a recent cause such as emotional distress, lack of sleep, or physical irritation. Its literal application to other objects is rare and usually descriptive rather than idiomatic.

Adjective

1. rimmed with red
   • your red-rimmed eyes reveal that you have been crying