What does sanguine mean?
Sanguine usually means optimistic or confidently hopeful, especially when describing someone's view of future prospects. A team might remain sanguine despite early difficulties, or a commentator might be sanguine about the economy's recovery. The word can also convey calm confidence rather than merely casual optimism. Its older senses refer to a red or reddish complexion and to a red-brown color or red chalk used by artists and manuscript illuminators. Today, however, these color-related meanings are uncommon and generally literary. Sanguine is often confused with sanguinary, which concerns blood or bloodshed; the distinction is especially useful in historical and legal contexts. The word is particularly useful because it expresses a more assured and elevated form of hopefulness than words such as “upbeat” or “positive,” suggesting confidence grounded in judgment rather than mood alone.
Optimistic or confident, especially about future prospects; in older usage, red or reddish in complexion.
"She was sanguine that the early results would support the treatment."
The optimistic sense is standard in modern British and American English; the color-related sense is chiefly literary or archaic.
A red-brown color or red chalk historically used by artists and manuscript illuminators.
"The illuminator applied a translucent sanguine to the initial."
This noun is uncommon today and is chiefly encountered in art-historical writing.
Rare; the plural is chiefly used for individual works executed in red chalk.
"The auction offered two sanguines depicting Saint Jerome."
Sanguine began as a word for blood-red, yet its best-known meaning today is “hopeful”—a linguistic plot twist from blood to optimism.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of sanguine
English borrowed sanguine from French, which derived it from Latin sanguineus, meaning “of blood” or “blood-red,” from sanguis, “blood.” The word entered English with its blood-red associations before the optimistic sense developed later. Its present-day meaning preserves that history while shifting attention from physical color and vitality to confidence and hope.
Related word forms
How sanguine is actually used
The optimistic sense is overwhelmingly dominant in modern English. The color and complexion senses are literary, historical, or archaic, while “sanguine about something” may sound slightly formal in everyday speech.
Easily confused with sanguine
Sanguinary means involving or characterized by blood, whereas sanguine usually means optimistic or confident and only rarely retains its older blood-red sense.