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

In its megacities and beyond, traffic is increasingly falling silent, the dull whir of the electric motor replacing the purr of an internal combustion engine. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2026 In DuPont Circle near the Hilton, an otherwise quiet night was disrupted by the scream of sirens and purr of helicopters. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 26 Apr. 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

Scattered on the dunes, the surviving population of Gaza was reduced to bare existence, subject to unrelenting hunger and thirst under the ever-present hum of killer drones and bomber jets.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
At Maywood’s Riverfront Park, Ma was accompanied by the vroom of nearby traffic, cascade of a yucca rainstick and burbling hum of a water synth.

— Jireh Deng, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026

Definition of hum

Verb

In one segment, Daeron quietly whispers for a young cupbearer to exit the room before violence erupts from the lord.

— Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
From the second Eldridge was drafted, a little devil appeared on your shoulder and whispered unreasonable expectations into your ear.

— Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 13 July 2026

Definition of whisper

Verb

In a separate video, others were heard shouting at the TSA agent, questioning whether something would be done about the incident.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
The dialogue, meanwhile, is played hilariously straight — good luck finding a laugh among these uncharted stars — and often consists of someone shouting another character's name.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of shout

Verb

Djokovic chirped back at the crowd during the match, and in his on-court interview afterwards, was asked about the atmosphere.

— Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Think your back yard can get buggy in the summer—with mosquitoes, flies, moths, wasps, bees, lightning bugs, crickets, and more swarming, buzzing, and chirping everywhere?

— Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 June 2026

Definition of chirp

Verb

Warning signs worth flagging to a doctor include loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, severe daytime fatigue, persistent low mood, rapid heart rate and unexplained weight changes.

— Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026
Gauff and Muchová had the crowd gasping in the thick heat through the tiebreak, which produced some of the most electric shots of what had already been a tense match.

— Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of gasp

Verb

Anyone speaking on camera under those circumstances, having given so much on the pitch, deserves a significant amount of leeway.

— Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Meeting with Gulf leaders late last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken forcefully against Iran charging fees for transit through the strait.

— Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 13 July 2026

Definition of speak

Browse Nearby Words

purposively

purr

purred

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Style

“Purr.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purr. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of purr

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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