Purr — meaning, pronunciation & more

Definition

a low vibrating sound typical of a contented cat

make a soft swishing sound

Pronunciation

🇺🇸American English

/pˈɜː/

🇬🇧British English

/pˈɜː/

🇮🇳Indian English

/pˈɜː/

1 syllable Say it as /pˈɜː/.

Examples

the motor whirred
the car engine purred

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

whizz whiz birr whirr whir make vibrant sounds

Parts of Speech

noun	a low vibrating sound typical of a contented cat
verb	make a soft swishing sound “the motor whirred”
verb	indicate pleasure by purring; characteristic of cats

Word Forms

purr	verb	indicate pleasure by purring; characteristic of cats
whiz	noun	a buzzing or hissing sound as of something traveling rapidly through the air
whirr	noun	sound of something in rapid motion
whir	noun	sound of something in rapid motion
whirring	noun	sound of something in rapid motion
birr	noun	sound of something in rapid motion
purr	noun	a low vibrating sound typical of a contented cat

Around the World

Europe

🇩🇪German

Schnurren

ein leises vibrierendes Geräusch, typisch für eine zufriedene Katze

🇫🇷French

ronronner

un son de vibration faible typique d'un chat content

🇪🇸Spanish

ronroneo

un sonido de baja vibración típico de un gato contento

🇮🇹Italian

fusa

un suono a bassa vibrazione tipico di un gatto contento

🇳🇱Dutch

snorren

een laag vibrerend geluid dat typisch is voor een tevreden kat

🇵🇹Portuguese

ronronar

um som vibratório baixo típico de um gato contente

🇷🇺Russian

мурлыкать

низкий вибрирующий звук, типичный для довольной кошки

India

🇮🇳Hindi

म्याऊँ

एक संतुष्ट बिल्ली की विशिष्ट कम कंपन वाली ध्वनि

🇮🇳Kannada

ಪುರ್ರ್

ಸಂತೃಪ್ತ ಬೆಕ್ಕಿನ ವಿಶಿಷ್ಟವಾದ ಕಡಿಮೆ ಕಂಪಿಸುವ ಧ್ವನಿ

East & Southeast Asia

🇨🇳Chinese

咕噜声

满足的猫典型的低振动声音

🇯🇵Japanese

ゴロゴロ

満足した猫に特有の低い振動音

🇰🇷Korean

푸르르

만족스러운 고양이의 전형적인 낮은 진동 소리

🇻🇳Vietnamese

tiếng gừ gừ

âm thanh rung thấp điển hình của một con mèo hài lòng

🇹🇭Thai

เสียงฟี้อย่างแมว

เสียงสั่นต่ำตามแบบฉบับของแมวที่พึงพอใจ

🇮🇩Indonesian

dengung

suara bergetar rendah khas kucing yang puas

🇲🇾Malay

mendengkur

bunyi bergetar rendah khas kucing yang berpuas hati

Middle East

🇸🇦Arabic

خرخرة

صوت اهتزاز منخفض نموذجي لقطط راضية

🇮🇷Persian

خرخر کردن

صدای ارتعاش کم که مخصوص یک گربه راضی است

🇹🇷Turkish

mırlamak

halinden memnun bir kediye özgü düşük titreşimli ses

🇮🇱Hebrew

לְגַרגֵר

צליל רטט נמוך אופייני לחתול מרוצה

Test Yourself1 / 3

What is the primary definition of the word 'purr'?

The primary meaning of 'purr' is 'a low vibrating sound typical of a contented cat'.

Which of the following sentences uses the word 'purr' in a grammatically correct way?

Using 'purr' in a noun/adjective form makes the first sentence correct.

In which domain is the word 'purr' most likely to appear as standard vocabulary?

'purr' is a standard word used primarily in general literature and formal communications.

Community Poll1 / 6

How often do you encounter the word 'purr' in your daily reading?

Very Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

Do you find 'purr' easy to spell?

Yes, very easy

Somewhat easy

A bit confusing

Extremely hard

In your opinion, does the word 'purr' have a positive, neutral, or gloomy tone?

Positive

Neutral

Gloomy

Vibrant

Which age group is most likely to use 'purr' in regular conversations?

Kids (3-12)

Teens (13-19)

Adults (20-60)

Seniors (60+)

How likely are you to use 'purr' in a professional email?

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Somewhat likely

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Never

Would you classify 'purr' as formal, casual, or slang?

Formal

Casual

Slang

Archaic

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