rouge
/ˈɹuːʒ/adjective, noun, verb
rouge is spelled R-O-U-G-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, rouge means “Of a reddish pink colour” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in rouge?
| Letters | 5: R-O-U-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 4.6 times per million words; the 11,870th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is rouge?
Rouge appears 4.6 times per million words in written English, the 11,870th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce rouge?
- /ˈɹuːʒ/
- [ˈɹʷʊu̯ʒ]
Rouge has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-rouge.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rouge?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as rouge.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: rogue, orgue.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of rouge
- more rouge comparative
- most rouge superlative
- rouges plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- rouging participle, present
- rouged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rouge mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of a reddish pink colour.
noun
- 1
Red or pink makeup to add colour to the cheeks; blusher.
- 2
Any reddish pink colour.
- 3
A single point awarded when a team kicks the ball out of its opponent's end zone, or when a kicked ball becomes dead within the non-kicking team's end zone. Etymology uncertain; it is thought that in the early years of the sport, a red flag indicated that a single had been scored.
- 4
obsoleteIn the Eton wall game, a scrummage, melée.
- 5
In the Eton College field game, a scoring move accomplished by touching the ball down behind the opponents' goal-line (somewhat similar to the try in rugby). Originally, the player who scored the rouge had a chance to kick a goal, and the rouge was used as a tie-breaker if an equal number of goals was scored by each side. In the contemporary Eton College field game, a five-point score is awarded f
- 6
obsoleteFrom 1862 to 1868, a similar scoring move in Sheffield rules football. From 1862 to 1867, accomplished by touching the ball down after it had been kicked between two "rouge flags" either side of the goal. From 1867-1868, awarded for kicking the ball between the rouge flags and under the crossbar.
- 7
archaicA red amorphous powder consisting of ferric oxide, used in polishing and as a cosmetic; crocus; jeweller's rouge.
verb
- 1
To apply rouge (makeup).
She rouged her face before setting out for the party.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rouge in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense color:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does rouge come from?
Borrowed from French rouge, from Latin rubeus. Compare rare Middle English rouge, rouȝ (“red”); later borrowed again, as it is not attested until c. 1750. The game senses are of unknown origin according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).