Added 9 October 2026
sanguine
/ˈsæŋ.ɡwɪn/ adjective
Latin root: sanguineus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about sanguine at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Having the colour of blood; blood red. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
- Having a bodily constitution characterised by a preponderance of blood over the other bodily humours, thought to be marked by irresponsible mirth; indulgent in pleasure to the exclusion of important matters.
-
Characterized by abundance and active circulation of blood.
a sanguine bodily temperament
noun
verb
Origin
From Middle English sanguine, from Old French sanguin, ultimately from Latin sanguineus (“of blood”), from sanguis (“blood”) (of uncertain origin, but probably from Proto-Indo-European *h₁sh₂-én-, from *h₁ésh₂r̥ (“blood”), with an obscure suffix such as *-ǵʰ- (related to body parts)) + -inus + -eus. The obsolete medical sense is in reference to the humour (blood) which ancient Hippocratic and later Galenic medicine associated with cheerfulness, optimism, confidence, liveliness, and spiritedness. Doublet of sanguineous.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)