Skip to content
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

sanguine

/ˈsæŋɡwɪn/

Press play to hear how to pronounce sanguine.

American Pronunciation Guide · 0:49
Watch on YouTube ↗
LISTEN FOR THIS

Stress “san” and keep the “gw” sequence.

After the strong opening vowel, move through ng into g and w, then finish with a lighter short i vowel and n.

2 syllables · Stress on syllable 1

TRY SAYING
The team remained sanguine about its prospects.

APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

What does sanguine mean?

adjective

  1. (literary) Having the colour of blood; blood red.
  2. Characterized by abundance and active circulation of blood.
  3. Warm; ardent.
More meanings (10)

adjective

  1. Anticipating the best; optimistic; confident; full of hope.
  2. (obsolete) 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.
  3. (archaic) Full of blood; bloody.
  4. (archaic) Bloodthirsty.

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.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈsæŋɡwɪn/

Pronunciation used in the listening tip.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

These circumstances combined, admonish us not to be too sanguine in considering ourselves as entirely out of the reach of danger.
Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; James MadisonThe Federalist PapersProject Gutenberg ebook #18
It seemed, however, to be so very difficult a problem, that they were by no means sanguine of success in its solution.
Samuel SmilesIndustrial Biography: Iron Workers and Tool MakersProject Gutenberg ebook #404
More book examples (3)
Being assisted by a gentleman who not long ago aspired to the favour of your hand, I am sanguine as to that.’
Charles DickensDavid CopperfieldProject Gutenberg ebook #766
To dream of spools of thread, indicates some long and arduous tasks, but which when completed will meet your most sanguine expectations.
Gustavus Hindman MillerTen Thousand Dreams Interpreted; Or, What's in a Dream A Scientific and Practical ExpositionProject Gutenberg ebook #926
So Speke went alone and continued his march until he reached the lake, the dimensions of which surpassed his most sanguine expectations.
Thomas WrightThe Life of Sir Richard BurtonProject Gutenberg ebook #4315