PURR Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

purr 1 of 2

noun

ˈpər

Definition of purr

as in hum

a monotonous sound like that of an insect in motion listened to the reassuring purr of the car engine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

purr

2 of 2

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of purr

Noun

Cats also purr when they’re injured or stressed, not just content. — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026 Her hair is a Veronica Lake-blond cascade, her voice a silky Southern purr. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 14 May 2026

Verb

While the video plays and the cat closes in on Bender ever-so-slowly, hen turkeys in the nearby pasture can be heard yelping and purring. — Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 23 Apr. 2026 Their first conversation is comically lopsided, and McKellen, purring his way through what is effectively a monologue, lays the groundwork for his most vividly inhabited and hilariously irascible performance in years. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for purr

Recent Examples of Synonyms for purr

Noun

The bread machine works on a timer and hums along at its regular pace.

— Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2026
What’s next, what’s next, what’s next—that was the hungry hum under everything.

— Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of hum

Verb

Deep in the cornfields of northeast Iowa, a cacophony of voices loudly whispered to build a permanent baseball stadium.

— Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
At the end of the third set, Gareth whispered into Marcy’s ear across the table, and her face took on a look of revulsion.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of whisper

Verb

In a building where people survived by shouting over each other, the biggest man was the quietest.

— Jeff Rabhan, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Styles’s fourth album revels in all those hours spent shouting euphoria into the ears of friends on dance floors and riding the bassy, body-vibrating techno loops until well after the sun comes up.

— Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of shout

Verb

Palm trees abound; a perpetual breeze and a soundtrack of chirping birds complement the luscious grounds.

— Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Even though the first game sold out on a rainy night, on the second night, a clear summer evening with cicadas chirping beneath a starry sky, the stadium was only two-thirds full.

— Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of chirp

Verb

The defense struggled a bit in the first half with the reserves on the field even after producing a second-quarter interception, and the offense also gasped and wheezed with the reserves on the field.

— Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Police say Coffer was pulled to safety by his boat partner, who told police Simpson fled the scene and the boy was gasping for air.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of gasp

Verb

Verstappen was speaking during the second of three preseason F1 tests, before the championship’s first campaign with new cars that were overhauled to the greatest extent ever compared to their predecessors.

— Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Investigators were speaking with witnesses and reviewing security and surveillance video from the surrounding area.

— CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of speak

Browse Nearby Words

purposively

purr

purred

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purr. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of purr

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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