In spectroscopy, bathochromic shift (; hence less common alternate spelling "bathychromic")  is a change of spectral band position in the absorption, reflectance, transmittance, or emission spectrum of a molecule to a longer wavelength (lower frequency). Because the red color in the visible spectrum has a longer wavelength than most other colors, the effect is also commonly called a red shift.
Hypsochromic shift is a change to shorter wavelength (higher frequency).