English Reference

Word

purplish

Phoneticspur·plish

US/ˈpɝpɫɪʃ/

UK/pˈɜːplɪʃ/

Definition

adj. having a color that is a mix of red and blue. It describes something that looks like the color of a grape or a sunset.

adj. resembling the color of the flower of the herbaceous plant of the genus Viola, specifically a mixture of red and blue. Often used to describe skin tones, bruises, or natural landscapes.

Examples

“The sunset turned the sky a deep purplish color.”

“After the long hike, his fingers turned a purplish shade due to the cold wind.”

“The artist used a purplish hue to capture the melancholic atmosphere of the twilight scene, blending deep violets with subtle hints of crimson.”

Examples

simple

“The sunset turned the sky a deep purplish color.”

contextual

“After the long hike, his fingers turned a purplish shade due to the cold wind.”

complex

“The artist used a purplish hue to capture the melancholic atmosphere of the twilight scene, blending deep violets with subtle hints of crimson.”

Etymology

From purple + -ish.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

purpleNounpurplishAdjective

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/purplish

English Reference