rubicund

Rubicund is an English adjective describing a reddish or ruddy complexion, typically indicating healthy warmth or bloom. The term comes from the Medieval Latin rubicundus, itself from ruber “red.” In English it is largely literary or archaic and is less common in contemporary clinical language. Rubicund descriptions appear in poetry and descriptive prose to convey vitality, outdoor life, or aging flushed cheeks.

In usage, rubicund may evoke vigor or merriment, or be used for stylistic effect to contrast with paler appearances. It is a close synonym of ruddy, rosy, or sanguine, while its opposites include pallid, pale, wan, or ashen. Although related to medical notions of redness such as erythema, rubicund is not a technical term and should be employed for descriptive rather than diagnostic purposes.

Pronunciation is typically ru-BIH-kund, with the emphasis on the second syllable, though some speakers may pronounce it as ROO-bih-kund. See also ruddy, rosy, sanguine, pallor, erythema. Etymology: from Latin rubicundus, from ruber “red.”