Sanguine

adjective (also noun)

/ˈsæŋɡwɪn/

Optimistic, cheerful, and confident, especially in a difficult or uncertain situation. Most useful in the primary modern sense of being hopeful and positive about an outcome.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Even as fiscal deficits widened and global headwinds intensified, the Economic Survey remained sanguine about India's medium-term growth prospects, banking on a young workforce, robust digital infrastructure and resilient domestic demand.

Synonyms

optimistichopefulconfidentbuoyantupbeatassured

Antonyms

pessimisticgloomydespondentanxious

🌱 Word Family

sanguinely (adv), sanguineness (n), sanguinity (n), sanguinary (adj), consanguine (adj)

🔡 Root

Latin sanguis = blood; sanguineus = of blood; via Old French sanguin; humoral medicine linked blood-excess to optimistic temperament

📜 Etymology

From Latin sanguineus "of blood," from sanguis "blood," via Old French sanguin and Middle English sanguine. The "cheerful, optimistic" sense (c. 1500) derives from medieval humoral medicine, which linked an excess of blood to a confident, lively temperament.

🧠 Memory Hook

"Sanguine" shares its Latin root with "sanguinary" — both come from sanguis, "blood". Picture a person with a warm, ruddy, blood-flushed glow: rosy-cheeked, healthy and brimming with cheerful confidence about the future.

🧭 Ethics & Integrity 📖 Seen in: Attitude, Aptitude & Foundational Valu...

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