ruddy

Meaning

Adj

1. Reddish in color, especially of the face, fire, or sky.
2. Robust and vigorous, like a person with a red complexion (as compared to a pale one).
3. (Australia, British, not-comparable, slang) A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.

Adv

A mild intensifier, expressing irritation.

Noun

1. (informal) A ruddy duck.
2. (informal) A ruddy ground dove.

Verb

To make reddish in colour.

Synonyms

rosy

red

rubicund

reddish

florid

scarlet

crimson

blood-red

cherry-red

cerise

pink

sanguine

ruby

bloody

🩸

ruby-red

carmine

cherry

sorrel

strong

tawny

vermilion

blushful

reddish brown

red-faced

very red

rubrical

high-coloured

be vivid

ruddy-faced

ablush

aithochrous

beautiful

blush

😊

blushing

confoundedly

damnably

flush

full-blooded

glaring

glow

intense

intensify

pink-cheeked

red-cheeked

redden

rouge

russet

Translations

rubicondo

vermiglio

rot

rojo

rubicundo

rojizo

rosso

rouge

κοκκινωπός

rougeâtre

sor

rufus

rötlich

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹʌdi/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: ruddy

Inherited from Old English: rudiġ

Cognate with Icelandic: roði

In summary

From Middle English ruddy, rody, rudi, from Old English rudiġ (“reddish; ruddy”), from rudu (“redness”), equivalent to rud (“redness”) + -y. Compare Icelandic roði (“redness”).
The British slang sense expressing irritation is presumably a euphemism for bloody.