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 Working in collaboration with producer Michelle Bell, founder of Geo Massive, the artists gathered for an ersatz boot camp – three days with 8 hours of pure writing time. — Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026 One holdover from the previous establishment is Nettie’s lasagna ($33), a robust slab of bechamel and noodles smothered in cheese — pure comfort food. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026 Step 3 Return pan to medium-high heat and stir in 2¾ cups whole milk and ¼ cup pure maple syrup. — Carla Lalli Music, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026 The tense and agonizing switch is a pure state of melodrama, a transcendent form of tragedy striking in the banal core of workaday society. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pure
Adjective
  • To best protect the environment and your plants, Ankit Singh, assistant professor and ornamental horticulture educator at the University of Maine Extension, recommends using plain brown paper grocery bags as mulch.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Use cachepots to hide plain plant pots, protect surfaces from water damage, and elevate home decor without repotting.
    — Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • His homemaker mother Leonor (a superb Maude Sandham) and his 17-year-old sister Ilse (Karoline Watson) complete the immaculate family portrait, but there’s unrest there too.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Please enjoy every pitch of Payton Tolle's immaculate inning.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • For the sake of his reputation, anyone whose likeness appears in this book gets VETTED and pronounced innocent by DAVE.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • That innocent childhood fantasy stands in stark contrast to today’s dangerous underground reality.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The large number of undecided voters this close to the election points to voters being overwhelmed by the sheer number of statewide ballot measures, DiCamillo said.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • But the sheer volume of planning in Miami has also raised questions about power and the role Cubans on the island will play in a transition.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Few social situations encourage or even allow unadulterated loopiness.
    — Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, violence and mistreatment of women should be called out and women and girls should be protected, but these decisions and statements are just pure, unadulterated corporate virtue signaling.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 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
  • Just a kid yearning to be seen, one who’s been told that being seen means being beautiful and that being beautiful means being white.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Residents were evacuated from 85 homes in the village of Whelford near the base on Sunday, and army bomb-disposal experts used a robot to examine three white vans.
    — ALASTAIR GRANT, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Moscow's demand for a comprehensive peace deal, not a temporary break in hostilities, following Ukraine's call for a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Moscow’s demand for a comprehensive peace deal, not a temporary break in hostilities, following Ukraine’s call for a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pure. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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