purple
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a colour that you get by mixing red and blue together.
n.a secondary colour located between red and blue on the spectrum, often associated with royalty or luxury.
Simple“She chose a deep purple for the bedroom walls to make the room feel cozy.”
In context“The artist experimented with various shades of purple, blending ultramarine and crimson to achieve the perfect royal hue for the velvet cloak.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.writing that is too fancy or uses too many complicated words.
adj.referring to prose that is excessively ornate, sentimental, or flowery, often to the point of being distracting.
Simple“The critic said the novel was hard to read because of its purple prose.”
In context“The editor suggested cutting several paragraphs of purple prose, arguing that the over-elaborate descriptions slowed the narrative pace significantly.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 'purple prose'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.in the US, a place where voters are almost equally split between Democrats and Republicans.
adj.describing a geographic area or demographic where political support is divided between the 'blue' Democratic and 'red' Republican parties.
Simple“The candidates spent a lot of money on ads in purple states before the election.”
In context“Strategists focused their efforts on the purple suburbs, knowing that these swing voters would ultimately determine the outcome of the national election.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
n.the power or position of an emperor or king.
n.the rank or office of an emperor, historically derived from the Tyrian purple robes worn by Roman leaders.
Simple“The young prince was born to the purple and expected to rule one day.”
In context“Having been born to the purple, the emperor struggled to understand the daily hardships faced by his subjects in the provinces.”
UsageCommonly found in the idiom 'born to the purple'.
Synonyms - 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to become purple in colour.
v.to become purple or to cause something to take on a purple tint.
Simple“His face began to purple with anger as he listened to the news.”
In context“The mountains began to purple as the sun dipped below the ridge, casting long shadows across the valley floor.”
Synonymsflushredden
From Middle English purple, purpel, from Old English purpul (“purple”, adjective), taken from Old English purpure (“purple colour”, noun), from Latin purpura (“purple dye, shellfish”), from Ancient Greek πορφύρα (porphúra, “purple-fish”), perhaps of Semitic origin. Doublet of purpura and purpure. The sense of "imperial power" is from the wearing of the color purple by emperors and kings.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Emperors, spectacle, and the machinery of keeping a city entertained.
- 01
bread and circuses (idiom)
Food and entertainment handed out by those in power to keep the public quiet.
Juvenal's complaint.
- 02
circus (word)
a show with performers like clowns and acrobats, or a place where many streets meet; it can also describe a very busy or chaotic situation.
The Circus Maximus.
- 03
a Roman holiday (idiom)
Enjoyment taken from watching somebody else suffer.
Byron on the Dying Gaul.
- 04
fiddle while Rome burns (idiom)
To busy yourself with trivia while a disaster you could be addressing unfolds.
Nero and the fire of AD 64.
- 05
triumph (word)
a great success or victory after a lot of hard work; as a verb, it means to win or succeed against something difficult.
The victory parade.
- 06
laurel (word)
a type of evergreen tree with shiny leaves, often used as a symbol of success or victory.
The victor's wreath.