: a low vibratory murmur typical of an apparently contented or pleased cat
purred; purring; purrs
1
: to make a purr or a sound like a purr
cars purring along the highway
2
a
: to speak in a manner that resembles a purr
b
: to speak in a malicious catty manner
Synonyms
Examples of purr in a Sentence
Noun
the soft purr of a car engine
listened to the reassuring purr of the car engine
Verb
The cat was purring contentedly in my lap.
The cars were purring along the highway.
“You look tense. Let me buy you a drink,” he purred.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Busemeyer, Hartford Courant, 30 July 2024
After his surgery, Jinxy was able to open his eyes and purr at his owner without pain, Myrna said.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 14 July 2024
Elaine Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024
My phone finally emitted a purring sound—the notification that the tracker was out of the safe zone.
—PCMAG, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for purr 
Noun
The King of Tone has a few knobs and two buttons — one to boost the volume level and one to engage the overdrive circuit, creating a tone that can range from a subtle purr to an angry lion, but firmly on this side of heavy metal.
—Stephen Busemeyer, Hartford Courant, 30 July 2024
After his surgery, Jinxy was able to open his eyes and purr at his owner without pain, Myrna said.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 14 July 2024
Verb
Related Articles Family picnic at California park takes a terrifying turn when mountain lion attacks child
Is a Los Gatos cat’s lack of purring a sign of its upbringing or something else?
—Elaine Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024
My phone finally emitted a purring sound—the notification that the tracker was out of the safe zone.
—PCMAG, 29 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for purr
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purr.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near purr
Cite this Entry
“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purr. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.
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