purple
purple — adjective
1. having a dark colour that is a mix of red and blue, like the colour of some flow
having a dark colour that is a mix of red and blue, like the colour of some flowers or evening skies.
Lien wore a beautiful purple scarf that matched the evening sky.
The children painted their bedroom walls a bright shade of purple.
A thick purple carpet covered the floor of the old library.
Baraka chose a purple tie to go with his grey suit.
The sunset turned the clouds a deep shade of purple.
2. having a dark red face because of very strong anger, often with the veins showin
having a dark red face because of very strong anger, often with the veins showing.
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
Rohan was purple in the face after the argument with his brother.
Tamar's father turned purple with fury when he heard the news.
Quinn went purple with anger but managed to stay silent.
- red-faced
less intense; can describe embarrassment or exertion, not only anger
- apoplectic
formal, describes a state of extreme fury, often with physical symptoms
文法句型
purple with [emotion]
turn/go purple
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
3. describing a stretch of time in which a person or team enjoys great success, goo
describing a stretch of time in which a person or team enjoys great success, good luck, or excellent performance.
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.
The bakery went through a purple patch after the newspaper review came out.
Defne's purple patch as a musician lasted nearly three years.
Every artist hopes for a purple period when the ideas flow easily.
- 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
- slump
a period of poor performance or bad luck
文法句型
purple patch
purple period
用法筆記
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
relating to a written style that uses very elaborate, showy language in a way that feels unnatural or overly decorative.
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
Lien's poetry uses vivid images but never falls into purple language.
The journalist's purple style made the news article sound like a dramatic novel.
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
5. describing a US state where roughly equal numbers of voters support the Republic
describing a US state where roughly equal numbers of voters support the Republican and the Democratic parties, making election results uncertain.
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.
The map showed several purple states where the race was too close to call.
Demographers predict that Texas may become a purple state within the next decade.
- 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
- 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
用法筆記
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
relating to a king, queen, emperor, or the highest level of society; fit for a ruler.
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
Purple dye was so costly in ancient times that only wealthy rulers could wear it.
The queen's purple cloak was embroidered with golden thread.
用法筆記
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.
purple — noun
1. a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue, such as the colour of certain f
a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue, such as the colour of certain flowers, grapes, and the evening sky.
Mateo painted his bedroom in shades of purple and grey.
Purple is a colour that many people associate with creativity and mystery.
The walls were a rich purple that gave the room a warm, cosy feeling.
Priya mixed red and blue paint together to make a bright purple.
Élise decorated the wedding hall with purple and white flowers.
- violet
a lighter, more blue-toned purple found in the colour spectrum
2. the rank, position, or status of a member of a royal or imperial family, especia
the rank, position, or status of a member of a royal or imperial family, especially someone born into it.
The princess was born to the purple and raised in the palace.
idiom: born to the purple
In ancient times, only those born in the purple could inherit the throne.
The emperor's daughter was married to a foreign king as a symbol of the purple.
Scholars debate whether being born to the purple was more important than ability.
- royalty
a broader term that includes all members of a royal family, not just the rank itself
- sovereignty
focuses on supreme power or authority rather than hereditary status
- commoner
a person who is not a member of the nobility or royal family
文法句型
born to the purple
born in the purple
用法筆記
This sense survives primarily in the fixed phrases 'born to the purple' and 'born in the purple', which refer to a person born into a ruling royal family. 'Born in the purple' historically meant the child of a reigning Byzantine emperor.
purple — verb
1. to become or cause something to become purple in colour, especially through cold
to become or cause something to become purple in colour, especially through cold, bruising, or the application of dye.
Her fingers began to purple in the freezing winter air.
intransitive: body part + purples
Iker's bruised knee purpled overnight and looked swollen the next morning.
The cold wind purpled the children's cheeks as they walked to school.
The autumn leaves slowly purpled before falling off the branches.
文法句型
[something] purples
[someone] purples [something]
用法筆記
This verb is less common than the adjective forms of 'purple'. It is often used in literary or descriptive writing, especially to describe the effects of cold or injury on skin, or seasonal changes in plants.