Meaning & use
lilac
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Meanings
nouncountable
A shrub or small tree that produces large clusters of sweet-smelling purple, pink or white flowers in spring.
Grammar: Countable for the plant or its flowers: a lilac, lilacs in bloom.
Patterns
- a lilac bush
- lilacs in bloom
The lilac by the gate fills the whole garden with scent every May.
We cut some lilacs and put them in a jar on the table.
My grandmother planted a white lilac near the porch.
nouncountable or uncountable
A pale, soft purple color with a slight touch of pink or blue.
Grammar: Uncountable for the color in general: painted in lilac; countable for one shade: a soft lilac.
Patterns
- painted in lilac
- a shade of lilac
The nursery was painted in a calm shade of lilac.
She chose lilac for the bridesmaids' ribbons.
The sky turned lilac just after sunset.
adjectivenot comparable
Having a pale, soft purple color.
Grammar: Usually goes before a noun or after be: a lilac scarf, the scarf is lilac.
Patterns
- a lilac dress
- lilac flowers
She wore a lilac dress to the spring party.
The lilac petals fell onto the path.
He painted the old door a pale lilac color.
Word forms
| plural | lilacs |
|---|
Common combinations
- lilac bush
- A lilac bush grows beside the old barn.
- lilac scent
- The lilac scent drifted through the open window.
- pale lilac
- Pale lilac walls make the room feel peaceful.
- lilac in bloom
- The street looks beautiful with the lilac in bloom.
- lilac dress
- She found a lilac dress in the sale.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lavender
- Lavender is a slightly bluer, greyer pale purple, while lilac leans pinker.
- mauve
- Mauve is a duller, more muted purple, whereas lilac is lighter and softer.
- violet
- Violet is a deeper, stronger purple, while lilac is pale.
- periwinkle
- Periwinkle is a light blue with purple in it, so it looks cooler than lilac.
Word family
- lilacs noun
- plural, more than one lilac plant or bunch
- lilac-colored adjective
- having a pale purple color
- lilaceous adjective
- a rare word meaning like a lilac
- lilac time noun
- the spring season when lilacs bloom
Commonly confused: lilac or lavender?
lilac vs lavender
Lavender is both a fragrant herb and a purple shade that is more blue-grey. Lilac is a shrub and a pinker purple.
Practice
The walls were painted a soft ______, a pale purple with a hint of pink.
Choose one answer.
Lilac is a pale purple with a hint of pink. Crimson is a deep red, olive is green and amber is yellow-orange.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lilac”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.