sanguine
san·guine/ˈsæŋ.ɡwɪn/adjective, noun, verb
sanguine is spelled S-A-N-G-U-I-N-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables (san·guine). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, sanguine means “Having the colour of blood; blood red” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in sanguine?
| Letters | 8: S-A-N-G-U-I-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: san·guine |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is sanguine?
Sanguine appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd 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 sanguine?
- /ˈsæŋ.ɡwɪn/
- /ˈseɪ̯ŋ.ɡwɪn/
Sanguine has 2 syllables, split san·guine in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-sanguine.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of sanguine
- more sanguine comparative
- most sanguine superlative
- sanguines plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- sanguining participle, present
- sanguined participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sanguine mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having the colour of blood; blood red.
- 2
obsoleteHaving 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.
- 3
Characterized by abundance and active circulation of blood.
a sanguine bodily temperament
- 4
Warm; ardent.
a sanguine temper
- 5
Anticipating the best; optimistic; confident; full of hope.
I'm sanguine about the eventual success of the project.
- 6
archaicFull of blood; bloody.
- 7
archaicBloodthirsty.
noun
- 1
Blood colour; red.
- 2
Anything of a blood-red colour, as cloth.
- 3
A tincture, seldom used, of a blood-red colour (not to be confused with murrey).
- 4
Bloodstone.
- 5
Red crayon.
verb
- 1
To stain with blood; to impart the colour of blood to; to ensanguine.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sanguine in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
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 sanguine come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).