Red vs. Crimson — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on November 1, 2023
Red is a primary color spectrum hue, while crimson is a deep, slightly bluish red.
Difference Between Red and Crimson
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Red is a primary color, one of the most dominant hues in the color spectrum and can vary in shade from bright to dark. Crimson, however, is a specific shade of red that is deep and slightly blue-toned. It is more specific and less varied than red.
In terms of symbolism, red often represents passion, danger, or excitement, found widely in flags and cultural motifs. Crimson carries a more regal and somber tone, often associated with ceremonial robes or elite academic regalia.
Red is used broadly in descriptions and can apply to a wide range of shades from light to dark. Crimson, on the other hand, refers to a deep red and is often used more specifically to describe something that is distinctly richer and darker than red.
In the world of art, red is fundamental and cannot be created by mixing other colors. Crimson is considered a secondary color in art, typically mixed from red and blue or by adding a touch of black to red.
Color identification often starts with the basic recognition of red. Crimson requires a more discerning eye, as it is identified by its depth and purplish undertone, distinguishing it from the broader category of red.
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Comparison Chart
Shade
Can vary from bright to dark
A deep, rich red with a bluish undertone
Position in Spectrum
Primary color
A shade of red
Symbolism
Passion, danger, excitement
Regality, solemnity, sometimes mourning
Usage in Language
General and broad
Specific and narrow
Origin in Art
Fundamental, cannot be created by mixing
Secondary, mixed from red and blue
Compare with Definitions
Red
A color signifying danger or stop in many cultures.
The red light means you must halt your vehicle.
Crimson
A rich, dark shade of red often associated with luxury.
The velvet curtain was a luxurious shade of crimson.
Red
The hue of blood and certain ripe fruits.
His cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
Crimson
A term for a strong, slightly purplish red color.
The roses in the garden were a vibrant crimson.
Red
A politically charged color in various contexts.
Red often symbolizes the left wing in politics.
Crimson
A deep red color with a slightly bluish tint.
The sky at dusk turned a brilliant crimson.
Red
Descriptive of flushed or reddened skin.
She had red cheeks from the cold weather.
Crimson
Crimson is a rich, deep red color, inclining to purple. It originally meant the color of the kermes dye produced from a scale insect, Kermes vermilio, but the name is now sometimes also used as a generic term for slightly bluish-red colors that are between red and rose.
Red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres.
Crimson
Of a rich deep red colour inclining to purple
She blushed crimson with embarrassment
Red
The hue of the long-wavelength end of the visible spectrum, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 630 to 750 nanometers; any of a group of colors that may vary in lightness and saturation and whose hue resembles that of blood; one of the additive or light primaries; one of the psychological primary hues.
Crimson
A rich deep red colour inclining to purple
A pair of corduroy trousers in livid crimson, they were horrid to behold
Red
A pigment or dye having a red hue.
Crimson
(of a person's face) become flushed, especially through embarrassment
My face crimsoned and my hands began to shake
Red
Something that has a red hue.
Crimson
A deep to vivid purplish red to vivid red.
Red
Often Red A Communist.
Crimson
To make or become deeply or vividly red.
Red
A revolutionary activist.
Crimson
A deep, slightly bluish red.
Red
The condition of being in debt or operating at a loss
The firm has been in the red all year.
Crimson
Having a deep red colour.
Red
Having a color resembling that of blood.
Crimson
Immodest. en
Red
Reddish in color or having parts that are reddish in color
A red dog.
A red oak.
Crimson
(intransitive) To become crimson or deep red; to blush.
Red
Having a reddish or coppery skin color.
Crimson
(transitive) To dye with crimson or deep red; to redden.
Red
Often Red Often Offensive Of or being a Native American.
Crimson
A deep red color tinged with blue; also, red color in general.
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
A maid yet rosed over with the virgin crimson of modesty.
Red
Having a ruddy or flushed complexion
Red with embarrassment.
Crimson
Of a deep red color tinged with blue; deep red.
The blushing poppy with a crimson hue.
Red
Relating to or being a red state.
Crimson
To dye with crimson or deep red; to redden.
Signed in thy spoil and crimsoned in thy lethe.
Red
Often Red Communist.
Crimson
To become crimson; to blush.
Ancient towers . . . beginning to crimson with the radiant luster of a cloudless July morning.
Red
Having red#Noun as its color.
The girl wore a red skirt.
Crimson
A deep and vivid red
Red
(of hair) Having an orange-brown or orange-blond colour; ginger.
Her hair had red highlights.
Crimson
Turn red, as if in embarrassment or shame;
The girl blushed when a young man whistled as she walked by
Red
(of the skin) With a red hue due to embarrassment or sunburn.
Crimson
Having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
Red
Of the hearts or diamonds suits. Compare of the spades or clubs suits
I got two red queens, and he got one of the black queens.
Crimson
Characterized by violence or bloodshed;
Writes of crimson deeds and barbaric days
Fann'd by Conquest's crimson wing
Convulsed with red rage
Red
Supportive of, related to, or dominated by a political party or movement represented by the color red:
Crimson
(especially of the face) reddened or suffused with or as if with blood from emotion or exertion;
Crimson with fury
Turned red from exertion
With puffy reddened eyes
Red-faced and violent
Flushed (or crimson) with embarrassment
Red
Left-wing parties and movements, chiefly socialist or communist, including the U.K. Labour party and the Social Democratic Party of Germany.
The red-black grand coalition in Germany
Crimson
Symbolic of deep passion or seriousness.
The letter was sealed with a crimson wax seal.
Red
(US politics) The U.S. Republican Party.
A red state
A red Congress
Crimson
A color often used in academic or ecclesiastical robes.
He wore a crimson robe at the graduation ceremony.
Red
Amerind; relating to Amerindians or First Nations
Red
(astronomy) Of the lower-frequency region of the (typically visible) part of the electromagnetic spectrum which is relevant in the specific observation.
Red
(particle physics) Having a color charge of red.
Red
Any of a range of colours having the longest wavelengths, 670 nm, of the visible spectrum; a primary additive colour for transmitted light: the colour obtained by subtracting green and blue from white light using magenta and yellow filters; the colour of blood, ripe strawberries, etc.
Red can be seen as hot or angry.
Red
(countable) A revolutionary socialist or (most commonly) a Communist; usually capitalized a Bolshevik, a supporter of the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War.
Red
One of the 15 red balls used in snooker, distinguished from the colours.
Red
Red wine.
Red
(countable) Any of several varieties of ale which are brewed with red or kilned malt, giving the beer a red colour.
Red
A red kangaroo.
Red
A redshank.
Red
An American Indian.
Red
(slang) The drug secobarbital; a capsule of this drug.
Red
(informal) A red light a traffic signal
Red
(particle physics) One of the three color charges for quarks.
Red
Usually in the phrase "bowl of red".
Red
(informal) The redfish or red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, a fish with reddish fins and scales.
Red
Tomato ketchup.
Red
(archaic) rede
Red
To put on order; to make tidy; also, to free from entanglement or embarrassement; - generally with up; as, to red up a house.
Red
Of the color of blood, or of a tint resembling that color; of the hue of that part of the rainbow, or of the solar spectrum, which is furthest from the violet part.
Your color, I warrant you, is as red as any rose.
Red
The color of blood, or of that part of the spectrum farthest from violet, or a tint resembling these.
Red
A red pigment.
Red
The menses.
Red
The quality or state of the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
Red
A tributary of the Mississippi River that flows eastward from Texas along the southern boundary of Oklahoma and through Louisiana
Red
Emotionally charged terms used to refer to extreme radicals or revolutionaries
Red
The amount by which the cost of a business exceeds its revenue;
The company operated at a loss last year
The company operated in the red last year
Red
Having any of numerous bright or strong colors reminiscent of the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
Red
Characterized by violence or bloodshed;
Writes of crimson deeds and barbaric days
Fann'd by Conquest's crimson wing
Convulsed with red rage
Red
(especially of the face) reddened or suffused with or as if with blood from emotion or exertion;
Crimson with fury
Turned red from exertion
With puffy reddened eyes
Red-faced and violent
Flushed (or crimson) with embarrassment
Red
Red with or characterized by blood;
Waving our red weapons o'er our heads
The Red Badge of Courage
The red rules of tooth and claw
Red
A primary color at the lower end of the visible spectrum.
The red apple looked delicious.
Common Curiosities
What is red?
Red is one of the primary colors visible to the human eye.
What is crimson?
Crimson is a deep, rich red color with a slight blue undertone.
Can everyone see the difference between red and crimson?
Perception varies, but most people can distinguish crimson from a basic red due to its deeper tone.
Can red have different shades?
Yes, red can vary from light to very dark shades.
Is crimson used more than red in flags?
No, red is more commonly used in flags than the specific shade of crimson.
Is crimson brighter than red?
No, crimson is typically deeper and more subdued than standard red.
Can red or crimson be a person's name?
Red is more common as a nickname than an actual name, and crimson is rare as a name.
Are red and crimson found in nature?
Yes, both colors are found in nature, in flowers, fruits, and other elements.
Are red and crimson used differently in art?
Yes, red is a primary color in art, while crimson is mixed and used for specific, rich shades.
Is crimson a shade of red?
Yes, crimson is a specific shade within the red color spectrum.
Do red and crimson symbolize the same things?
Not always; while both can symbolize passion, crimson often carries more specific or formal connotations.
Why might an artist choose crimson over red?
An artist may choose crimson to convey depth, richness, or for a specific color scheme.
Is crimson a warm or cool color?
Crimson leans towards the cooler side of red because of its blue undertones.
Does crimson have any historical significance?
Yes, it's been associated with nobility, power, and the Church throughout history.
Which color is more likely to fade in sunlight, red or crimson?
Both can fade, but the depth of crimson may diminish more noticeably.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
