purple
purple
Pronunciation
/ˈpɜːrpl/.
pur-: /pɜːr/
/p/: voiceless bilabial plosive
/ɜː/: open-mid central unrounded vowel (R-colored vowel)
/r/: alveolar approximant
-ple: /pl̩/
/p/: voiceless bilabial plosive
/l̩/: syllabic lateral approximant
Word Form Variations
As a Noun:
Singular: purple (referring to the color itself, a pigment, or cloth of that color)
Plural: purples (less common, but could refer to multiple shades of purple or types of purple cloth/pigments)
As an Adjective:
Positive (base form): purple
Comparative: purpler (e.g., "This shade is purpler than that one.")
Superlative: purplest (e.g., "This is the purplest flower I've ever seen.")
Related Adjectives:
Purplish: indicating a color that is somewhat purple or tending towards purple.
Purply: similar to purplish, informal.
As a Verb:
Base form/Infinitive: purple (to become purple, or to color something purple)
Third-person singular present: purples (e.g., "The sky purples at sunset.")
Present participle: purpling (e.g., "The grapes are purpling on the vine.")
Past tense/Past participle: purpled (e.g., "The fruit purpled in the sun.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A color situated in the visible spectrum between blue and red, often associated with royalty, luxury, or mysticism due to the historical rarity and costliness of its dyes.
Synonyms: violet, amethyst, lavender, magenta (often used broadly, though technically distinct shades)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a color itself, but one might consider contrasting colors like "yellow" or "green" in a set.)
Definition 2: A dye, pigment, or fabric dyed with this color.
Synonyms: dye, pigment, colorant, fabric, cloth
Antonyms: N/A
Definition 3 (Figurative): A state or period of elevated rank, power, or luxurious living, often referring to the dignity of a monarch or high-ranking church official.
Synonyms: royalty, regality, sovereignty, majesty, eminence, opulence, luxury
Antonyms: commonalty, lowliness, poverty, destitution
Adjective
Definition 1: Of the color purple; having a hue that is a blend of blue and red.
Synonyms: violet, amethyst-colored, lavender-hued, plum-colored, indigo (sometimes broadly used)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a color adjective, but adjectives describing contrasting colors could be used, e.g., "yellow," "green.")
Definition 2 (Figurative): Pertaining to or indicative of royalty, high rank, or luxurious status.
Synonyms: royal, regal, sovereign, majestic, imperial, noble, opulent, lavish, grand
Antonyms: common, humble, lowly, ordinary, simple, plain, austere
Definition 3 (Figurative/Literary): Elaborate, ornate, or highly embellished, often to an excessive or overly dramatic degree, especially in prose or speech. (Often used in the phrase "purple prose.")
Synonyms: florid, bombastic, ornate, turgid, overwrought, flowery, grandiose, eloquent (sometimes)
Antonyms: plain, simple, unadorned, concise, straightforward, direct, austere
Verb
Definition 1 (Intransitive): To become purple; to take on a purple color.
Synonyms: darken (towards purple), deepen (in color), blush (if referring to a subtle change), color (generally)
Antonyms: lighten, pale, fade
Definition 2 (Transitive): To color or dye something purple.
Synonyms: dye, color, tint, stain, pigment
Antonyms: bleach, decolor, fade (when acting on the color), remove color
Examples of Use
Books:
"He remembered the purple jacaranda trees that had lined the drive, their fallen blossoms a soft carpet underfoot." (From a contemporary novel)
"The purple prose of the young writer's debut novel was widely discussed, some critics praising its ambition, others its excess." (Literary review, The New York Review of Books, October 2023)
Newspapers:
"The royal procession was a sea of crimson and purple, reflecting centuries of tradition and power." (The Guardian, May 2024)
"Experts caution against the excessive use of purple streetlights, citing potential ecological impacts." (The Washington Post, January 2025)
Online Publications:
"A rare purple diamond recently sold at auction for a record-breaking sum, captivating collectors worldwide." (Forbes.com, November 2024)
"From subtle lavender to deep plum, discover how to incorporate purple into your home decor for a touch of elegance." (Architectural Digest Online, April 2025)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the film The Color Purple (1985), the title itself references the beauty and resilience found even in hardship.
Music: "Purple Rain" is the title of a renowned song and album by Prince, which also inspired a film of the same name.
Television: "The purple wedding" was a notorious event in the HBO series Game of Thrones, referring to a significant, violent incident.
Video Games: Many fantasy games feature "purple" items or spells, often signifying rarity, magic, or a specific elemental affinity (e.g., "purple-tier loot").
General Public Discourse:
"I'm thinking of painting my bedroom a soft shade of purple." (Conversation)
"He showed up with a big purple bruise on his arm after falling off his bike." (Everyday description)
"The politician's speech was full of purple rhetoric, long on emotion but short on facts." (Discussion of political discourse)
10 Quotes Using Purple
"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." – Alice Walker, The Color Purple
"For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain!" – Katherine Lee Bates, "America the Beautiful"
"Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple." – Regina Brett
"He wrapped himself in quotations – as a beggar would enfold himself in the purple of Emperors." – Rudyard Kipling
"Love makes its record in deeper colors as we grow out of childhood into manhood; as the Emperors signed their names in green ink when under age, but when of age, in purple." – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Purple puts us in touch with the part of ourselves that is regal." – Byllye Avery
"I'm not posh, not in the slightest. My parents spent some money on my education, but I wasn't born to the purple." – Matthew Goode
"Purple Haze all in my brain, lately things don't seem the same." – Jimi Hendrix, "Purple Haze"
"Early impressions are hard to eradicate from the mind. When once wool has been dyed purple, who can restore it to its previous whiteness?" – St. Jerome
"There is no dignity in wickedness, whether in purple or rags; and hell is a democracy of devils, where all are equals." – Herman Melville
Etymology
The word "purple" comes from a very old story that goes back to ancient times and a special kind of dye.
It ultimately derives from the Greek word "porphyra," which referred to a type of shellfish (a mollusk) that produced a highly prized, deep crimson or reddish-purple dye. This dye, known as Tyrian purple, was incredibly difficult and expensive to produce, requiring thousands of these tiny shells for even a small amount. Because of its rarity and cost, clothes dyed with this color became associated with royalty, emperors, and high religious figures.
From Greek, the word passed into Latin as "purpura," retaining the meaning of both the shellfish and the luxurious dye/color itself.
The English word "purple" then evolved from this Latin root, coming through Old English as "purpul" or "purpure." Its first known uses in English, dating back to before the 12th century, already referred to the color as we know it today, and also to the rich, often royal, fabric dyed with that color. So, right from the start in English, "purple" carried that sense of a specific color, often linked to status and luxury.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Purple
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "purple":
Born to the purple: Born into a royal or noble family.
Purple patch: A period of exceptional success, good luck, or high performance.
Purple prose: Writing that is overly elaborate, flowery, or ornate, often to an excessive degree.
Purple heart: A military decoration awarded to those wounded or killed while serving.
Purple state/county: In U.S. politics, a state or county where electoral support for the Democratic and Republican parties is fairly evenly divided.
Purple squirrel: An ideal job candidate who perfectly matches all the required skills and qualifications, often implying such a candidate is rare or mythical.
To turn purple (with rage): To become extremely angry, so much so that one's face might actually flush a dark red or purplish color.
Royal purple: Emphasizing the deep, rich shade of purple historically associated with royalty.
To wear purple: To hold a high ecclesiastical (e.g., cardinal) or royal office.
A shade of purple: A slight variation or nuance of the color purple.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of purple from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
