: 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
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
Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 May 2026
That detail has led researchers to wonder whether the purr is partly a self-healing mechanism, a body soothing itself from the inside out.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
The Week Us, TheWeek, 8 June 2026
Shiny black cars and mountain bikes are on standby to purr you down a three-mile country road to the Beach Club, where the mood is even more drowsy and low-key (though kids and alpha males will enjoy messing about with the paddleboards, windsurfers, and other non-motorised water-sports).
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for purr
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Noun
Wafting odors of 100-octane gasoline and rumbling purrs of V8 engines punched through the overcast morning at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday as the Velocity Invitational car meet entered its second day.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 31 May 2026
That detail has led researchers to wonder whether the purr is partly a self-healing mechanism, a body soothing itself from the inside out.
—Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026
Verb
Nicholas Galitzine plays He-Man, aka Prince Adam of Eternia, who, as an adolescent, was sent to Earth after his kingdom was conquered by Skeletor, played by Jared Leto as a purring diva.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 8 June 2026
Shiny black cars and mountain bikes are on standby to purr you down a three-mile country road to the Beach Club, where the mood is even more drowsy and low-key (though kids and alpha males will enjoy messing about with the paddleboards, windsurfers, and other non-motorised water-sports).
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for purr
Cite this Entry
“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purr. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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