purple

purple — adjective

1. having a dark colour that is a mix of red and blue, like the colour of some flow

1.adjectiveA1
Definition

having a dark colour that is a mix of red and blue, like the colour of some flowers or evening skies.

Example

Lien wore a beautiful purple scarf that matched the evening sky.

The children painted their bedroom walls a bright shade of purple.

Common collocations
  • purple sky
  • purple flowers
  • purple paint
  • purple fabric
  • deep purple
  • bright purple
  • dark purple
Synonyms
  • violet

    lighter and more blue-toned than purple

  • lavender

    a pale, light purple with a soft, muted tone

  • mauve

    a pale greyish-purple, often used in fashion contexts

2. having a dark red face because of very strong anger, often with the veins showin

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a dark red face because of very strong anger, often with the veins showing.

Example

Sumin's face turned purple with rage when she saw the broken window.

pattern: purple with rage / fury

The coach went purple as he shouted at the referee's decision.

collocation: go/turn purple

Common collocations
  • purple with rage
  • purple with fury
  • purple in the face
  • go purple
  • turn purple
Synonyms
  • red-faced

    less intense; can describe embarrassment or exertion, not only anger

  • apoplectic

    formal, describes a state of extreme fury, often with physical symptoms

Grammar Patterns

purple with [emotion]

turn/go purple

Usage Note

This sense nearly always appears with a prepositional phrase indicating the cause of anger, most commonly 'purple with rage/fury' or 'purple in the face'.

Common Mistakes

She was purple after running.
She was purple with rage after the insult.
this sense is reserved for anger, not for physical exertion.

3. describing a stretch of time in which a person or team enjoys great success, goo

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a stretch of time in which a person or team enjoys great success, good luck, or excellent performance.

Example

The team has hit a purple patch and won their last six matches.

idiom: [hit/be in] a purple patch

Henrik is enjoying a purple period in his career right now.

Common collocations
  • purple patch
  • purple period
  • hit a purple patch
  • enjoy a purple patch
  • in a purple patch
Synonyms
  • golden age

    longer-lasting and more sweeping than a purple patch, which is usually temporary

  • hot streak

    informal, used especially in sports and gambling contexts

Antonyms
  • slump

    a period of poor performance or bad luck

Grammar Patterns

purple patch

purple period

Usage Note

Most common in British English in the set phrase 'a purple patch'. 'Purple period' is less frequent and slightly more formal. The expression comes from sports commentary, where a player or team is said to be on a scoring streak.

4. relating to a written style that uses very elaborate, showy language in a way th

4.adjectiveC1
Definition

relating to a written style that uses very elaborate, showy language in a way that feels unnatural or overly decorative.

Example

The editor told the young writer to avoid purple prose and keep the language simple.

fixed phrase: purple prose

His novel was criticized for its purple passages that distracted from the story.

collocation: purple passage

Common collocations
  • purple prose
  • purple passage
  • purple language
  • purple style
Synonyms
  • flowery

    a less formal term for over-elaborate language, often used in speech

  • ornate

    neutral or positive when describing decorative style, negative only when overdone

Antonyms
  • plain

    direct and simple in style

  • concise

    brief and to the point, no unnecessary words

Usage Note

Almost always found in the fixed collocations 'purple prose' or 'purple passage'. Unlike 'purple patch' (positive), 'purple prose' is a critical term — it describes writing that is trying too hard to impress.

Common Mistakes

I love reading purple prose!
I find purple prose distracting because the style overwhelms the story.
'purple prose' is nearly always used as a criticism.

5. describing a US state where roughly equal numbers of voters support the Republic

5.adjectiveC1
Definition

describing a US state where roughly equal numbers of voters support the Republican and the Democratic parties, making election results uncertain.

Example

Ohio is a purple state because its voters split roughly between the two parties.

collocation: purple state

Candidates spend more time campaigning in purple states than in reliable red or blue ones.

Common collocations
  • purple state
  • purple district
  • turn purple
Synonyms
  • swing state

    the more common term; 'purple state' is used conversationally while 'swing state' is used in both casual and analytical contexts

  • battleground state

    emphasises the intense competition between parties in that state

Antonyms
  • safe state

    a state where one party reliably wins by a large margin

  • red state

    a state where Republicans reliably win

  • blue state

    a state where Democrats reliably win

Usage Note

Derives from US election maps where Republican-leaning states are coloured red and Democratic-leaning states blue. A 'purple state' is a mixture of both. This sense is not used outside US political contexts.

6. relating to a king, queen, emperor, or the highest level of society; fit for a r

6.adjectiveB2
Definition

relating to a king, queen, emperor, or the highest level of society; fit for a ruler.

Example

The guests were seated in purple chairs that had once belonged to the emperor.

The royal family wore purple robes during the coronation ceremony.

collocation: purple robe

Common collocations
  • purple robe
  • purple cloak
  • purple dye
  • purple cloth
Synonyms
  • royal

    broader in meaning, includes the family and customs of a monarchy

  • imperial

    specifically refers to the rule of an emperor or empire

  • regal

    describes the dignified, impressive quality of a monarch

Antonyms
  • common

    ordinary, of the general public

  • plebeian

    formal, belonging to the lower social classes

Usage Note

This sense draws on the historical association of purple dye with royalty. In ancient Rome and Byzantium, only the emperor was permitted to wear Tyrian purple. The noun phrase 'born in/to the purple' also preserves this meaning.

Idioms

purple patch / purple period

idiom

a period of time during which someone is very successful or enjoys a lot of good luck.

The young actor is going through a purple patch, with three film offers in one month.

After years of struggling, the band finally hit a purple period with their latest album.

purple — noun

purple — verb

Word family

  • purplish
    adjectiveB2
  • purply
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Purple is the broadest term for colours on the spectrum between red and blue. Violet sits closest to blue on the colour wheel and is a true spectral colour, while purple describes a wider range of blends. Lavender is a pale, soft purple with a dusty quality, named after the lavender flower — it leans cooler and is often used in home decor and fashion. Mauve is a muted, greyish-purple that became fashionable in the late 19th century; it is generally softer and more subdued than standard purple. Lilac is similar to lavender but slightly pinker and less grey, taking its name from the lilac flower. Magenta is a vivid, purplish-red that is brighter and more intense than any of the others — it was originally an aniline dye and sits closer to pink than to blue. In everyday use, picking the right shade word depends on the object: a sky at dusk is purple, a field of flowers is lavender or lilac, and a 1980s jacket might be magenta.

violet ↗lavender ↗mauvelilacmagenta

Etymology

GreekLatinOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'purple' traces back through Old English 'purpul' to Latin 'purpura', which referred both to the purple dye and to the shellfish (the murex) from which the dye was extracted. The Latin word itself came from Greek 'πορφύρα' (porphyra), the name of the murex shellfish. Because producing the dye required thousands of shellfish to yield a small amount of colour, it was extremely expensive and became associated with royalty, nobility, and high office throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. The association with imperial power was especially strong in the Byzantine Empire, where the emperor's children were said to be 'born in the purple'.