What does flushed mean?
Flushed describes skin that has turned red or pink, most visibly the face, as a result of heat, physical exertion, strong emotion, embarrassment, or alcohol. A runner finishing a race, a speaker before a crowd, and someone stepping in from the cold may all be described as flushed. The word also has an established figurative use: to be 'flushed with success', 'flushed with excitement', or 'flushed with victory' means to feel elated or invigorated, as though triumph itself glowed through the skin. In addition, flushed serves as the past tense and past participle of the verb flush, whose meanings range from causing redness to rinsing with flowing water to driving birds or animals out of cover. Because of these overlapping senses, context matters: a flushed face signals physical or emotional intensity, while a flushed drain or flushed pheasant belongs to entirely different situations. The word is common, informal-to-neutral in register, and widely understood across English-speaking regions.
Reddened in the face or skin, especially from heat, emotion, exertion, or alcohol.
"Her flushed cheeks betrayed how furious she really was."
Frequently used predicatively: 'he looked flushed'.
Elated, excited, or filled with triumphant energy, often in the phrase 'flushed with success'.
"Flushed with their first-round win, the team celebrated late into the night."
Past tense and past participle of flush: to redden, to rinse away with a flow of water, or to drive a person or animal out of hiding.
"She flushed the debris out of the gutter with a garden hose."
Distinguish carefully between 'flushed' (drove out) and 'fleshed out' (added detail) when describing ideas.
"Flushed with success" isn't just a phrase about pride — the word literally means your face shows it, glowing red for all to see.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flushed
The adjective 'flushed' derives from the verb 'flush', which first appeared in English in the early 16th century. The verb's origin is debated but is generally connected to the Middle English word 'flussh', perhaps imitative or related to words denoting a rush or sudden flow. Its earliest recorded senses involved driving birds from cover, later expanding to reddening of the face and the flow of water. Related forms such as 'flux' and 'fluctuate' trace instead to Latin roots and are not direct relatives, so the closest family remains the native English cluster around 'flush' itself.
Related word forms
How flushed is actually used
Most commonly an adjective describing reddened skin, it also carries a positive figurative sense of elation ('flushed with victory'). As a verb form, 'flushed' spans very different meanings — blushing, rinsing a toilet, or flushing game birds — so context determines which sense applies.
Easily confused with flushed
Blushing refers specifically to reddening from embarrassment or shame, while flushed covers reddening from any cause including heat, exercise, anger, or drink.
As a verb, 'flushed' can mean to drive something out of hiding (flushed the birds from cover), which is entirely different from being red-faced or elated.