purple prose: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary criticism, formal/informal critique, often pejorative.
Quick answer
What does “purple prose” mean?
Writing that is excessively ornate, flowery, or sentimental, using elaborate language in a way that draws attention to itself rather than to the content.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Writing that is excessively ornate, flowery, or sentimental, using elaborate language in a way that draws attention to itself rather than to the content.
More broadly, it refers to any form of communication (e.g., speech, advertising copy) that is overly elaborate, bombastic, or uses an exaggerated style inappropriate for its context.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage; the term is used and understood identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Equally negative in both dialects.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in literary and writing-related discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “purple prose” in a Sentence
The novel is marred by purple prose.Her description lapsed into purple prose.He was accused of writing purple prose.Critics dismissed it as purple prose.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “purple prose” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The author rather purpled his prose in the final chapter.
- She has a tendency to purple her travel writing.
American English
- The young novelist purpled her prose in an attempt to sound profound.
- His reporting purples considerably when he describes the sunset.
adverb
British English
- The novel was written rather purple-prosely.
- (Usage as an adverb is exceptionally rare and non-standard)
American English
- He wrote purple-prose-ily, to the dismay of his readers.
- (Usage as an adverb is exceptionally rare and non-standard)
adjective
British English
- The passage was distractingly purple-prosed.
- He submitted a purple-prose draft to his editor.
American English
- The purple-prose paragraphs were flagged for revision.
- It was a purple-prose monstrosity.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Used pejoratively to critique verbose marketing copy or overblown corporate communications.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, creative writing courses, and stylistics to analyze flawed writing.
Everyday
Used by educated speakers to criticize overly sentimental or pretentious writing (e.g., in a book review).
Technical
Not a technical term in linguistics, but used in the technical field of stylistics and rhetoric.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “purple prose”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “purple prose”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “purple prose”
- Using it to describe any descriptive or complex writing (it must be *excessively* ornate).
- Spelling it as 'purple proze'.
- Confusing it with 'prose poetry' (which is a legitimate genre).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Good description is precise and serves the story. Purple prose is description that is excessive, self-indulgent, and draws attention to the writer's vocabulary rather than the scene or character.
It is almost universally a criticism. However, some writers (e.g., Gothic novelists, certain postmodernists) use it deliberately for ironic or satirical effect. In inexperienced writing, it is a flaw.
The Roman poet Horace used the phrase 'purpureus pannus' (purple patch) in his 'Ars Poetica' to describe passages that were overly flashy and stood out awkwardly from the rest of the work. The modern term derives from this.
Focus on clarity and precision. Use strong verbs and concrete nouns. Read your work aloud; if it sounds unnatural or pretentious, simplify it. Remember the rule: 'The adjective is the enemy of the noun.'
Writing that is excessively ornate, flowery, or sentimental, using elaborate language in a way that draws attention to itself rather than to the content.
Purple prose is usually literary criticism, formal/informal critique, often pejorative. in register.
Purple prose: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpɜː.pl ˈprəʊz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpɝː.pl ˈproʊz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[The term itself is an idiom]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PURPLE velvet curtain in a cheap theatre - it's trying too hard to be regal and impressive, just like PURPLE PROSE tries too hard to sound literary.
Conceptual Metaphor
WRITING IS CLOTHING (gaudy, overly ornate clothing = poor style). EXCESS IS A COLOR (the excessive, 'royal' color purple represents excess in language).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following excerpts is MOST likely to be criticised as 'purple prose'?