purple
adjective
pur·ple
| \ ˈpər-pəl
\
\
purpler\ ˈpər-p(ə-)lər
\;
purplest\ ˈpər-p(ə-)ləst
\
\;
purplest\ ˈpər-p(ə-)ləst
\
Definition of purple
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: having a color between red and blue : of the color purple
a purple flower purple fabric … can only have left his antagonists purple with frustration.— Joseph Epstein
2a
: ornately and showily phrased or expressed
… the writing often descends into the purple prose of a besotted fan.— Stephen Holden … Rice is a first-rate writer. There are no purple patches in this narrative, and no attempts to sermonize.— Lawrence S. Cunningham
b
: marked by profanity
His language in public is so purple they had to stop broadcasting the meetings of the city council. — Newsweek
3
US politics
: having roughly equal levels of support for Democratic and Republican candidates or policies
…a blue candidate trying to swipe a red seat in a purple state.— Don Rollins … as the race pulled tighter than Paris Hilton's jeans, Kerry volunteers flooded the purple states to energize their voters—tens of thousands of them newly registered.— Michelle Cottle
— compare blue sense 9, red sense 5
purple
nounDefinition of purple (Entry 2 of 3)
1a(1)
: cloth dyed purple
(2)
: a garment of such color
especially
: a purple robe worn as an emblem of rank or authority
b(1)
: tyrian purple
(2)
: any of various colors that fall about midway between red and blue in hue
c(1)
: a mollusk (as of the genus Purpura) yielding a purple dye and especially the Tyrian purple of ancient times
(2)
: a pigment or dye that colors purple
2a
: imperial or regal rank or power
b
: high rank or station
purple
verb
purpled;
purpling\ ˈpər-p(ə-)liŋ
\
\
Definition of purple (Entry 3 of 3)
: to make purple
: to become purple
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Synonyms for purple
Synonyms: Adjective
aureate, florid, flowery, grandiloquent, high-flown, high-sounding, highfalutin (also hifalutin), magnific, ornate, rhetorical (also rhetoric)
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Examples of purple in a Sentence
Adjective
The book contains a few purple passages. Her writing was full of purple prose.Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
There was purple hair everywhere, styled after Megan Rapinoe, winner of the golden boot as the top scorer in the tournament and the golden ball as the top player. — Danielle Allentuck, New York Times, "A Team and a Parade for Everyone," 10 July 2019 Rapinoe, the US National Team co-captain, is easily recognizable with her purple hair. — Darran Simon, CNN, "Megan Rapinoe says fight for equality in women's soccer is much more than about money. It's about investment in the sport," 9 July 2019 This small deciduous tree has terrific interest in the spring with its delicate and colorful new growth followed by showy purple flowers. — Howard Garrett, Dallas News, "Not big on big trees? These little ones grow well in sun and shade," 9 July 2019 Tianna was also described as having purple shoulder length hair and was last seen wearing a blue top and black pants. — Kelsey Hammon, The Denver Post, "Boulder police conclude search for missing teen," 3 July 2019 According to the complaint, the baby girl was not breathing and her skin was purple. — Steve Helling, PEOPLE.com, "Mom Charged With Manslaughter After Newborn Dies and Mother Claims She Went on Pregnant 'Bender'," 29 July 2019 However, leaves are purple underneath, so, no, this beauty is not native. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: On native water lilies and millipedes," 18 July 2019 Using Jet Divers, Dipsy Divers and Tru-Trip diving planers to take the spoons to walleye suspending at about 17 to 25 feet deep, anglers are scoring with lures showing off pink or purple paint jobs. — D'arcy Egan, cleveland.com, "Lake Erie walleye parade not slowed by mayfly hatch, hot weather: July 12 Fishing Report," 12 July 2019 Sulc works his store alongside his wife, Jennifer, and their 6-year-old daughter, Emma, who points to the pink and purple fireworks as her favorites. — Emma Ruby, Dallas News, "Firecrackers, family and funky hair: The folks behind North Texas' fireworks stands," 3 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Nothing, argues physicist Polisseni of the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany, who took this image of a glial cell (purple, left) wrapping around a neuron (yellow, right). — Jennifer Leman, Scientific American, "The Brain in Images: Top Entries in the Art of Neuroscience," 29 July 2019 The most spectacular versions are deep purple and red on the inside, and their hue deepens with altitude, to protect them from the intense ultraviolet light at high elevations. — Jill K. Robinson, National Geographic, "Gordon Ramsay Adventures in Peru’s Sacred Valley," 2 July 2019 From deep reds and bright purples to subtle nudes, there is a color and, certainly a woman to be inspired by, for everyone. — Asia Milia Ware, Teen Vogue, "This New Beauty Brand Named Its Lipsticks After Iconic Black Women," 26 Apr. 2019 Though the hues in his paintings are mostly vibrant and upbeat—lots of delicious ’70s-era faded reds and purples and greens—make no mistake: His subject matter is rooted in dark histories. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "A New Exhibit Showcases the Groundbreaking Work of Late Indigenous Artist T. C. Cannon," 5 Apr. 2019 And so buildings in downtown Orlando are draped in purple All-Star Game banners, and the massive hotel complex housing those meetings featured temporary purple carpet and floor-to-ceiling Zlatans and Wondolowskis. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Despite Record Defeat, MLS Still Benefits From All-Star Game Format," 1 Aug. 2019 And you're bound to see more greens and purples as Kat's power colors as the season goes on. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "Euphoria's Head Makeup Artist Shares Why You've Never Seen Makeup on Television Like This Before," 20 July 2019 Some cabins will be decorated in plain colors, like a vibrant teal or purple, while the other gondolas feature characters from Disney movies and attractions. — Gabrielle Russon, orlandosentinel.com, "Disney World gondolas will open to guests in late September," 12 July 2019 Pain, numbness, or skin that’s dramatically changing color (like becoming bright red or deep purple) indicates that the ring is probably way too tight. — Gigi Engle, SELF, "How to Use a Cock Ring, Just in Case You Were Wondering," 12 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Bloom’s favorite subject: The human body freshly released from the grip of death, often flayed and purpling, flesh turned inside out. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "This Boston artist shunned the limelight. He deserves to be famous.," 1 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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