Definition of purenext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word pure distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of pure are chaste, decent, and modest. While all these words mean "free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious," pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions.

the pure of heart

In what contexts can chaste take the place of pure?

Although the words chaste and pure have much in common, chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows.

they maintained chaste relations

How are the words modest and decent related as synonyms of pure?

Both modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity.

preferred more modest swimsuits
decent people didn't go to such movies

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 pure By that logic, anyone who tries to disrupt a college football fan's Saturday should be seen as someone whose views are incongruent with the hardcore fan's, even if their intentions are pure. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Drunk on pollen and nectar, the bees retreat to their hives for the night, carefully and methodically, as if driven by a higher intelligence, an anonymous architect, or pure chance. — Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026 Not a movie starlet scream, but uninhibited howls of pure terror. — CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026 If audiences — particularly women — are using true crime to rehearse how to spot and respond to risk, as Rutledge describes, the category has a durability that pure entertainment trends often lack. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pure
Adjective
  • Teghaza 001 is named after a salt plain in the West African country of Mali, where meteorite hunters discovered it in 2022.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The anodyne-sounding replacement show is fittingly about that which seems plain or banal.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • Service is immaculate in that distinctly Japanese way—anticipatory, respectful, never overbearing—and there’s an elegance to the hospitality here that feels deeply ingrained rather than trained.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The glow of many Turners has dwindled, thanks to unstable pigments, but here is an immaculate exception.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • But the sexy stuff in Wharton’s archive is what inspired Frost to make an Age of Innocence that’s not so innocent after all.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026
  • It's actually prevented innocent people from being detained by police.
    — Da Lin, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • The grand reveal of the MTPeak One-All managed to grab the spotlight with its looks, performance and sheer quality.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Even beyond lyrics, the sheer tone of a voice can communicate emotion so differently.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • The basic model of competitive markets which one finds in an introductory economics textbook—where independent firms engage in cold arm’s-length transactions motivated by unadulterated self-interest—does not apply to the industry.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • His unadulterated psychopathy led to some of the most fascinating and brutal moments across this season and the next.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Then there was the rather chaste kiss on Evans’s show late last year.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 June 2026
  • Deadhead your chaste tree in late winter to promote flowering in the spring and summer months.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Adjective
  • The interiors play on terracotta tones that nod at once to the neighborhood’s brick walls and clay tennis courts, with white as a further reminder of the sport.
    — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Irina Temnova In the entryway, the floor is covered with white tiles dotted with small black accents, in keeping with the contemporary classic style.
    — Marilena Pitino, Architectural Digest, 2 Nov. 2026
Adjective
  • El-Sayed has called Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide and called for an end to unconditional military aid.
    — Erin Cox, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2026
  • In the primary, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee courted Ford for a possible endorsement but ultimately found policy differences with him, Ford said, including his declining to support unconditional military aid to Israel.
    — Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pure. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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