Meaning & use
purplish-blue
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Having a color that is mainly blue with a noticeable amount of purple in it.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb like be or look; not usually used with more or most.
Patterns
- a purplish-blue color
- purplish-blue eyes
- look purplish-blue
She wore a purplish-blue dress to the party.
The evening sky turned a deep purplish-blue.
His eyes are a striking purplish-blue.
Common combinations
- purplish-blue sky
- The purplish-blue sky faded to black.
- purplish-blue flower
- The garden was full of purplish-blue flowers.
- purplish-blue shade
- The artist mixed a purplish-blue shade for the sea.
Synonyms and how they differ
- violet-blue
- Suggests a stronger purple tone; purplish-blue leans more toward blue.
- bluish-purple
- Means mainly purple with a hint of blue, the opposite balance of purplish-blue.
Commonly confused: purplish-blue or bluish-purple?
purplish-blue vs bluish-purple
Bluish-purple is mostly purple with some blue, while purplish-blue is mostly blue with some purple.
Practice
The sea looked ______ in the evening light, more blue than purple.
Choose one answer.
Purplish-blue means mainly blue with a purple tinge, which matches 'more blue than purple'. Bluish-purple would mean mainly purple, and the other options are not standard compound color terms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “purplish-blue”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.