French word

pourpre

Pronunciation

IPA/puʁpʁ/

Meaning

  • adjectivepurple

Example

Elle porte une robe pourpre.

She is wearing a purple dress.

Illustration for pourpre (purple)

More examples

J'ai acheté un pull pourpre hier.

I bought a purple sweater yesterday.

Core concept

A deep purple-red color associated with luxurious dyed cloth.

Common phrases

  • un pull pourpre

    a purple sweater

  • un t-shirt pourpre

    a purple T-shirt

  • une écharpe pourpre

    a purple scarf

Similar words

violet: A basic blue-purple color.
mauve: A pale, slightly grayish purple color.
prune: A somewhat dark purple resembling the color of plum skin.

Definition in French

Pourpre, adjectif qui désigne une couleur violette foncée tirant sur le rouge.

Word origin

The color sense of French pourpre developed from Latin purpura, borrowed from Greek porphyra for the expensive dye made from murex mollusks.

Usage tips

  • In everyday French, violet is more common for purple, while pourpre often suggests a darker red-leaning shade and a more literary register.

Opposites

Word lists with this word