red scare

noun

Fearmongering on the topic of a rise in communism that will threaten Western nations, especially from Soviet Union and the Soviet bloc in the past, China, Cuba, North Korea, etc. but also from any leftist movement.

Similar
red menace
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Meanings

nounred scare (plural red scares)

plural red scares

  1. Fearmongering on the topic of a rise in communism that will threaten Western nations, especially from Soviet Union and the Soviet bloc in the past, China, Cuba, North Korea, etc. but also from any leftist movement.

    Synonyms: red menace

Synonyms & antonyms

nounFearmongering on the topic of a rise in communism that will threaten Western nations, especially from Soviet Union and the Soviet bloc in the past, China, Cuba, North Korea, etc. but also from any leftist movement.

Similar
red menace
Also see
red menace

Origin

From the historical association of the color red with communism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans rooi gevaar
  • rooi gevaarperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Catalan por roja
  • por rojaperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Chinese Mandarin 紅色恐慌 /红色恐慌
  • 紅色恐慌 /红色恐慌 (hóngsè kǒnghuāng)perceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Finnish kommunismilla pelottelu
  • kommunismilla pelotteluperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
French peur rouge
  • peur rougeperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
German Rote Angst
  • Rote Angstperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Japanese 赤狩り
  • 赤狩り (akagari)perceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Korean 적색공포, 레드 스케어
  • 적색공포 (jeoksaekgongpo)perceived threat from communism and leftist movements
  • 레드 스케어 (redeu seukeeo)perceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Romanian panica roșie
  • panica roșieperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Russian кра́сная угро́за
  • кра́сная угро́за (krásnaja ugróza)perceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Spanish temor rojo
  • temor rojoperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Turkish kızıl panik, kızıl tehlike
  • kızıl panikperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
  • kızıl tehlikeperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Vietnamese nỗi sợ cộng sản, nỗi sợ đỏ
  • nỗi sợ cộng sảnperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
  • nỗi sợ đỏperceived threat from communism and leftist movements
Cite this entry
APA

red scare. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20scare

MLA

“red scare.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20scare. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “red scare,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/red%20scare.

Source: red scare on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.