What does "Caught red-handed" mean?

Caught in the act of doing something wrong. To be discovered while committing a crime or misdeed—no possibility of denial.

How do you use "Caught red-handed" in a sentence?

He was caught red-handed stealing from the till. They caught him red-handed. Caught red-handed with the evidence.

Caught red-handed

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Neutral

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Meaning: Caught in the act of doing something wrong.

当场抓住

pillado con las manos en la masa

現行犯で捕まる

현행범으로 잡히다

To be discovered while committing a crime or misdeed—no possibility of denial.

在犯罪或做坏事时被发现——无法否认。

Ser descubierto mientras se comete un delito o una fechoría—sin posibilidad de negación.

犯罪や悪事を犯している最中に発見されること—否定の余地がない。

범죄나 잘못을 저지르는 도중에 발각되어 부인할 수 없는 상황을 말한다.

Literal meaning: Caught with blood on hands (original meaning)

Examples

He was caught red-handed stealing from the till.
他从收银机偷钱时被当场抓住
Lo pillaron con las manos en la masa robando de la caja
彼はレジから盗んでいるところを現行犯で捕まった
그는 금전 등록기에서 훔치다가 현행범으로 잡혔다.
They caught him red-handed.
他们当场抓住了他
Lo pillaron con las manos en la masa
彼らは彼を現行犯で捕まえた
그들은 그를 현행범으로 잡았다.
Caught red-handed with the evidence.
带着证据被当场抓住
Pillado con las manos en la masa y con pruebas
証拠を持って現行犯で捕まった
증거를 가지고 있다가 현행범으로 잡혔다.

Pronunciation

/kɔːt red ˈhændɪd/

Usage Guide

Context: caught in the act, undeniable, crime

Tone: accusatory, conclusive

✓ Do Say

Caught red-handed.
当场抓住
Pillado con las manos en la masa
現行犯で捕まった
현행범으로 잡혔다.
He was caught red-handed.
他被当场抓住了
Lo pillaron con las manos en la masa
彼は現行犯で捕まった
그는 현행범으로 잡혔다.
Caught them red-handed.
当场抓住他们
Los pillaron con las manos en la masa
彼らを現行犯で捕まえた
그들을 현행범으로 잡았다.

✗ Don't Say

Caught in the act
Caught in the act（当场抓住）
Caught in the act (pillado en el acto)
Caught in the act（行為中に捕まった）
현장에서 잡혔다
Caught doing it
Caught doing it（正在做时被抓）
Caught doing it (pillado haciéndolo)
Caught doing it（やっているところを捕まった）
하다가 들켰다

Common Mistakes

Very common idiom
Original meaning was literal blood on hands

Origin & History

Originally from murderers caught with blood on their hands.

Etymology: Scottish law

First recorded: 15th century Scotland

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common idiom; Police procedurals

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking world.

Variations

Caught red-handedCaught them red-handedRed-handed