red-handed

[ red-han-did ]

adjective

1. in the very act of a crime, wrongdoing, etc., or in possession of self-incriminating evidence:

   They caught him red-handed dipping into the till.

red-handed

adjective

1. postpositive in the act of committing a crime or doing something wrong or shameful (esp in the phrase catch red-handed )

Derived Forms

• ˌred-ˈhandedly, adverb
• ˌred-ˈhandedness, noun

Other Words From

• red-handed·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of red-handed¹

First recorded in 1810–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of red-handed¹

C19 (earlier, C15 red hand )

Example Sentences

This was beside the point, Breitbart argued, because ACORN was “caught red-handed.”

From The Daily Beast

Sen. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) was caught red-handed by the C-SPAN camera making his thoughts on the bombed joke all too clear.

From The Daily Beast

Having been caught red-handed with a smoking bong firmly pasted to his maw, the long knives are out for the Olympic hero.

From The Daily Beast

We've caught six men red-handed right on the rookery, with dead seals, most of them females.

From Project Gutenberg

He was captured red-handed in the act at yonder window, listening to that which he may never know and live to prate about.

From Project Gutenberg

The son miraculously escaped these red-handed reprisals; and Hamilcar's faithful slave smuggled him aboard ship for Athens.

From Project Gutenberg

Here was Elaine, caught red-handed in the commission of all three of these stupendous crimes.

From Project Gutenberg

Maunders himself was too much of a coward to steal, too politic not to realize the disadvantage in being caught red-handed.

From Project Gutenberg