Turns red in the face, usually from embarrassment or shyness.
From Old English 'blyscan,' possibly related to 'blaze' (a bright flame). The word originally meant 'to shine brightly,' which metaphorically connected to the bright red color of a blushing face.
You can't control blushing—it's an involuntary physical response controlled by your nervous system, which is why you blush even when you don't want to! Interestingly, humans are the only animal that blushes, and Charles Darwin thought this was one of the most mysterious human abilities.
Blushing has been feminized in literature and social coding since the 19th century, romanticized as an inherently female, modest sign of virtue. This association erased women's full emotional range and reinforced passivity as feminine ideal.
Use 'blushes' neutrally for any person's physiological response; avoid gendering it as feminine modesty or weakness.
["flushes","reddens","turns red"]
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