purple
gb/pˈɚpəl/ us/pˈɚpəl/
A1
English
~ 4400
lila, cikornyás, dagályos
A1
1
lila
A1
Usage pattern:
[something] is purple
She wore a beautiful purple gown to the wedding.
Gyönyörű lila ruhát viselt az esküvőn.
The sunset filled the sky with shades of purple and pink.
A naplementében lila és rózsaszín árnyalatok töltötték be az eget.
I painted my bedroom walls a soft purple.
The artist mixed red and blue to make purple.
Lavender is a light shade of purple.
Learner examples
My shirt is purple.
Az ingem lila.
The flower is purple.
A virág lila.
She has a purple bag.
I see a purple car.
The sky is purple at night.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'purple' with 'violet' or 'pink'. 'Purple' is a mix of red and blue, not red and white.
Meaning
Having a reddish-blue color
Collocations
purple dress
|purple flowers
|bright purple
|deep purple
|light purple
Synonyms
violet (A similar but slightly bluer shade of purple.)
Antonyms
green (A color on the opposite side of the color wheel from red–blue hues.)
Themes
colors
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Describes something that is the color between red and blue.
Describes something that has the color that is a blend of red and blue.
NOUN
A1
2
lila
A1
Usage pattern:
the purple of [something]
Purple is my favorite color.
A lila a kedvenc színem.
The flag has a stripe of purple in the middle.
A zászló közepén van egy lila csík.
She added a touch of purple to the design.
Purple often symbolizes royalty.
The artist used a lot of purple in her paintings.
Learner examples
Purple is my favorite color.
A lila a kedvenc színem.
The bag is purple.
A táska lila.
I like the color purple.
We painted the wall purple.
Her dress is purple.
Meaning
The color between red and blue
Collocations
shade of purple
|deep purple
|purple hue
|wear purple
|painted purple
Synonyms
violet (A specific shade within the purple range, leaning toward blue.)
Antonyms
green (A contrasting color to purple on the color wheel.)
Themes
colors
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A color made by mixing red and blue.
The color formed by combining red and blue, often associated with royalty or luxury.
B2
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
[something] is purple
The novel was criticized for its purple prose.
A regényt cikornyás prózája miatt bírálták.
His speech was full of purple descriptions that distracted from the main point.
Beszéde tele volt dagályos leírásokkal, amelyek elterelték a figyelmet a lényegről.
She avoided writing in a purple style to keep her message clear.
Learner examples
His story has many purple words.
A történetében sok cikornyás kifejezés van.
The letter was very purple in style.
A levél stílusa nagyon cikornyás volt.
I don't like purple writing because it is hard to read.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this figurative use of 'purple' with the literal color meaning; context in literature usually clarifies it.
Meaning
Overly elaborate in style
Collocations
purple prose
|purple passage
Synonyms
flowery (Also suggests decorative or ornate language, sometimes to excess.)
Antonyms
plain (Simple and straightforward in style.)
Themes
literature
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Describes writing or speaking that uses too many fancy words or details.
Describes language or writing that is excessively ornate, flowery, or extravagant in style.
Grammar
Dictionary form
purple
IPA
GB/pˈɚpəl/
US/pˈɚpəl/
Syllables & stress
purple (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (purple)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: purple
- Comparative: purpler
- Superlative: purplest
Noun
- Base: purple
- Plural: purple, purples
Word family
Forms
purples
noun
purpler
adjective
purplest
adjective
Related words
purplish
adjective
Expressions
born to the purple
1/bˈɔɹn tə ðə pˈɚpəl/
idiom
literary
Born into royalty or nobility
To be born into a royal or very rich family.
Examples
- As the king's son, he was born to the purple.
- Many leaders in history were born to the purple rather than rising through merit.
purple prose
1/pˈɚpəl pɹˈoʊz/
idiom
literary
Overly ornate writing style
Writing that uses too many fancy words or details, making it hard to read.
Examples
- The book was full of purple prose that slowed down the story.
- Critics accused the author of using too much purple prose in his essays.
purple prose
2/pˈɚpəl pɹˈoʊz/
idiom
Overly elaborate writing style
Writing that uses too many fancy or complicated words.
Examples
- The critic dismissed the novel as full of purple prose.
- His speech was criticized for its purple prose.