Definition of purenext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word pure distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of pure are chaste, decent, and modest. While all these words mean "free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious," pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions.

the pure of heart

In what contexts can chaste take the place of pure?

Although the words chaste and pure have much in common, chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows.

they maintained chaste relations

How are the words modest and decent related as synonyms of pure?

Both modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity.

preferred more modest swimsuits
decent people didn't go to such movies

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 pure In a house full of his closest friends and family, the room erupted into pure jubilation when Delp got the call. Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026 And then the Chinese government used the conversion to pure EVs to end subsidies, to change the level playing field, to tilt it in the local OEMs’ favor. Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026 Another kid, upon getting a shoe signed by the Padres shortstop, made a sound of pure joy … then sprinted away. Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026 This bottle contains 110 tablets, each with 595 milligrams of potassium gluconate or 99 milligrams of pure potassium. Bestreviews, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pure
Adjective
  • Revisiting maps mid-decade for political advantage runs directly against both the spirit and the plain language of those protections.
    Dan Daley, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
  • But a glimpse at an earlier journalistic universe—newspapers in the era before social media—shows the dishonesty at the center of the project to treat the plain meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment as up for grabs.
    Lawrence Glickman, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • My mom [had] immaculate music taste and [played] me all the greats.
    Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The vibes have been immaculate from the batting order, to the pitching rotation, to the bullpen, and everywhere in between.
    Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Abe told a judge at an April 27 proceeding that Allen has no prior arrests or convictions and is presumed innocent under the law.
    Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Same goes for the three separate books that were pitched to me at the same time by the same publisher, all themed around why OJ Simpson is innocent.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • But the 6-foot-5 Dennis-Sutton’s potential and sheer agility are off the charts, at his size.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The format has its limitations, though — the most obvious for fans with an inclination to ship is the sheer inability to develop romantic relationships over the course of a season.
    Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Who knew duking it out at the top of the league could be such unadulterated torture?
    Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
  • An unadulterated sonic purity emanates from its soundhole.
    Peter Wayne Moe, Longreads, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The songwriting is so chaste and disembodied that an Old Hollywood censor would have no problem greenlighting it.
    Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Rue’s comparatively chaste behavior this season — including in scenes with high school love Jules (the always magnetic Hunter Schafer) — feels like a concession to Zendaya’s huge star power and public image.
    Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The first lady matched with Queen Consort Camilla in all white during Camilla and King Charles' appearance on the White House's South Lawn on Day 2 of their state visit, Tuesday, April 28.
    Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The food is exceptional, and there are white beaches to lie on and bubble-like suites to escape into.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The series poignantly addresses the complexities of teenage struggles, particularly through Justin’s undiagnosed ADHD and Keisha’s experience of trauma, emphasizing the importance of unconditional support and the intersection of mental health with race and class in today’s world.
    Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The limited goal of bringing the regime to heel expanded immediately into its unconditional surrender and potential annihilation.
    Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 9 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pure. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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