purr

1 of 2

noun

: a low vibratory murmur typical of an apparently contented or pleased cat

purr

2 of 2

verb

purred; purring; purrs

intransitive verb

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
purringly adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The purr of an engine was the pulse of performance – until a quiet revolution started taking shape under the surface. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025 But the other people who live nearby may not be so easily swayed by those adorable puppy dog eyes or precious purrs and might get very irritated. Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
Who makes your nervous system purr instead of spike? Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 5 Oct. 2025 But few of the directors who would join V/H/S over the years that followed introduced a more memorable creature — a birdlike demon who oscillates from purring affection to ravenous rage — or so skillfully tracked the running bodies captured by a running camera. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for purr

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1620, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purr was circa 1616

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purr. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

purr

noun
ˈpər
: a low murmuring sound of a contented cat
purr verb

More from Merriam-Webster on purr

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