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

Syrian natives Karam and Noor have spent long days this summer sitting in the respite of their small New Haven apartment, listening to the gentle buzz of the air conditioner and the hum of Karam’s dialysis machine.

— Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of hum

Verb

The Moon, tied to intuition, moves through your 12th House of Solitude and conjoins healing Chiron there, opening gentle space to notice what your heart whispers.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
From the United States losing in the round of 16 after the whole Folarin Balogun saga, to Argentina eventually going down to Spain in the final, the outcomes on the field in the end minimized whispers about potential FIFA meddling.

— Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of whisper

Verb

Field recordings—from the preparation of street food to birds chirping, taken mostly in public spaces around Doha—are a kind of sonic memory of a place that is rapidly changing.

— Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
As totality nears, the light around you changes timbre, shadows sharpen, birds stop chirping and crickets start singing as if night is falling.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 17 July 2026

Definition of chirp

Verb

Those in the crowd held their breath—and audibly gasped—as the opening to season three unfolded onscreen.

— Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026
Medical staff told officers that the gasping noises were a result of the resuscitation efforts and oxygen pumped into the toddler's body, the reports said.

— Jose R. Gonzalez, USA Today, 30 July 2026

Definition of gasp

Verb

Before Salguero-Olivares was charged, Hedgepeth’s mother, Connie Hedgepeth, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about her hopes for the case and her daughter’s killer.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Customers can get free advice through our pharmacy services, or can speak to a Boots online doctor.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of purr

noun

verb

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