# violet

/ˈvaɪəɫɪt/ (US) · /vˈaɪələt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/violet
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. the flower

noun · CEFR B1

a small plant that has sweet-smelling flowers, usually purple or white.

For teachers: any plant of the genus Viola, typically characterized by small, fragrant, five-petaled flowers.

- The garden was filled with wild violets that bloomed every spring.
- The botanist identified several species of wild violet growing in the shaded, damp soil near the forest edge.

### 2. the color

noun · CEFR B1

a dark purple-blue color, like the color of the flower.

For teachers: a bluish-purple color seen at the end of the visible spectrum, with a wavelength between approximately 380 and 450 nanometers.

- The sky turned a deep shade of violet just before the sun disappeared.
- The artist used a rich violet to capture the deep shadows on the mountainside during the late afternoon.

### 3. having a purple-blue color

adjective · CEFR B1

having a dark purple-blue color.

For teachers: of a color between blue and purple; having the hue of a violet flower.

- She wore a beautiful violet dress to the wedding.
- The interior designer recommended violet curtains to complement the neutral tones of the master bedroom.

### 4. a shy person

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a very shy or modest person who does not want to be noticed.

For teachers: a person perceived as exceptionally modest or retiring; almost exclusively used in the idiom 'shrinking violet'.

- Don't be such a shrinking violet and come say hello to everyone.
- Despite her professional success as a public speaker, she described herself as a shrinking violet in large social gatherings.

### 5. a vegetable

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Dialect

a local word for an onion.

For teachers: a regional synonym for an onion.

- In some old parts of the country, you might hear someone call an onion a violet.
- The dialect survey recorded 'violet' as a localized term for the common onion in specific rural districts of the United Kingdom.

## Examples

- She planted a row of violets along the garden path.
- The artist mixed blue and red paint to find the perfect shade of violet for the sunset.
- Wild violets often carpet the forest floor in early spring, providing one of the first reliable sources of nectar for emerging pollinators after the winter frost.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.