red-rimmed
Học thuậtThân thiện
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
- rimmed with red
- your red-rimmed eyes reveal that you have been crying