purpler
ˈpər-p(ə-)lər 
; purplest
ˈpər-p(ə-)ləst
; purplest
ˈpər-p(ə-)ləst
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
Joseph Epstein2
a
: ornately and showily phrased or expressed
… the writing often descends into the purple prose of a besotted fan.—Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden… Rice is a first-rate writer. There are no purple patches in this narrative, and no attempts to sermonize.—Lawrence S. Cunningham
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
Newsweek3
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
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
Michelle Cottle1
a(1)
: cloth dyed purple
(2)
: a garment of such color
especially
: a purple robe worn as an emblem of rank or authority
b(1)
(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
2
a
: imperial or regal rank or power
b
: high rank or station
Synonyms
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
Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
While the Princess of Wales paired the cross with a velvet purple floor-length dress by Catherine Walker, Kardashian opted to marry the 5.25-carat necklace with pearl chokers and an ivory shawl cape.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Sara Dorn, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Prince’s love of purple is well documented—and a guitar hitting the auction block only reinforces that fact.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024
Arika Herron, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024
There are many different species of basils, from the common sweet basil, to a dark purpled foliaged ‘Purple Ruffles’
.
—Janet B. Carson, arkansasonline.com, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for purple 
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Adjective
And Democrats kept a purple Orange County district that was up for grabs after Rep. Katie Porter left the seat to run unsuccessfully for Senate this year.
—Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
While the Princess of Wales paired the cross with a velvet purple floor-length dress by Catherine Walker, Kardashian opted to marry the 5.25-carat necklace with pearl chokers and an ivory shawl cape.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Georgia’s shift from red to purple over the past decade is widely attributed to diversification in the Atlanta metro area, which makes up 60% of the vote in Georgia and where the population grew by 15% between 2010 and 2020, though the white population shrank by 2%, according to Census data.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Prince’s love of purple is well documented—and a guitar hitting the auction block only reinforces that fact.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
His opponent, Jennifer McCormick, is a former Republican turned Democrat with a difficult road to victory in reliably red Indiana, but she and running mate Terry Goodin are poised to capitalize on a purpling electorate.
—Arika Herron, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024
There are many different species of basils, from the common sweet basil, to a dark purpled foliaged ‘Purple Ruffles’
.
—Janet B. Carson, arkansasonline.com, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for purple
Dictionary Entries Near purple
Cite this Entry
“Purple.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purple. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
purple
1 of 3 adjective
pur·ple
ˈpər-pəl
purpler
-p(ə-)lər
; purplest
-p(ə-)ləst
; purplest
-p(ə-)ləst
: of the color purple
purple
2 of 3 noun
: a color midway between red and blue
Medical Definition
purple
1 of 2 adjective
pur·ple
ˈpər-pəl
purpler
-p(ə-)lər
; purplest
-p(ə-)ləst
; purplest
-p(ə-)ləst
: of the color purple
purple
2 of 2 noun1
: any of various colors that fall about midway between red and blue in hue
2
: a pigment or dye that colors purple see visual purple
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