sanguine

/ˈsæŋɡwɪn/ Formal / Literary

Say it: SANG-gwin

1. adjective Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident, especially in a difficult or uncertain situation.
Despite the setbacks, she remained sanguine about their chances of success.
2. adjective Of a reddish, rosy, or flushed complexion.
The country air had given him a sanguine and healthy appearance.
3. adjective In medieval physiology, having a constitution associated with the predominance of blood among the four humors, believed to make one courageous, hopeful, and amorous.
According to the old theory, a sanguine temperament was considered the most desirable.

📖 Seen in the wild

Despite the challenging economic forecast, the CEO remained sanguine about the company's future.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ sanguine in a sentence

The finance minister is sanguine that the economy will recover by the end of the year.
I'm not as sanguine as you are about getting the project done on time with these budget cuts.
His sanguine disposition made him a natural leader, always able to rally the team's spirits.
Few investors are sanguine about the company's future after such a disastrous quarter.
In the novel, the hero is described as a man of sanguine complexion and boundless energy.
She tried to remain sanguine, but the mounting evidence pointed to a grim conclusion.
He gave a sanguine assessment of the team's performance, perhaps glossing over some of the more serious issues.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

optimistic buoyant confident hopeful upbeat positive bullish cheerful

optimistic · more general; focuses on expecting a positive outcome.

buoyant · emphasizes a light, resilient spirit that recovers quickly from setbacks.

confident · implies a strong belief in a particular ability or outcome, not necessarily a general cheerfulness.

hopeful · suggests a desire for a good outcome but with less certainty than sanguine.

Opposites: pessimistic, gloomy, morose, melancholy, despondent

🌱 Where it comes from

Sanguine flows directly from the Latin word for blood, 'sanguis'. Its meaning developed from the ancient and medieval medical theory of the four humors, which governed health and temperament. A person with a healthy predominance of blood was thought to be 'sanguine': courageous, hopeful, and ruddy-cheeked, thus connecting the word's two main senses of cheerful confidence and a rosy complexion.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

sanguine about the futurea sanguine temperamentremain sanguinea sanguine viewless sanguine about

Sanguine is a strong, formal word that suggests a confidence that is deeply ingrained in someone's personality. While it can be used to describe a rosy complexion, this sense is now archaic and mostly found in literature. In modern use, be aware that describing someone as sanguine can sometimes imply they are a little too cheerful or confident, perhaps overlooking potential problems.

Word family: sanguinely, sanguinity, sanguineous

💬 Quick answers

What does sanguine mean?

It primarily means being optimistic and confident, especially when facing difficulties. Less commonly, it can describe a reddish, healthy-looking complexion, a meaning derived from its connection to blood.

What is the difference between sanguine and optimistic?

Sanguine is more formal and often implies a deep-seated, almost temperamental cheerfulness and confidence. Optimistic is a more general term for expecting a positive outcome in any given situation.

Is sanguine a formal word?

Yes, sanguine is considered a formal or literary word. In everyday conversation, words like 'optimistic', 'hopeful', or 'positive' are much more common.

Where does the word sanguine come from?

It comes from the Latin word 'sanguis', meaning 'blood'. The meaning evolved from the medieval theory of the four humors, which held that a person with an abundance of blood was naturally cheerful and confident.

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