pure
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- unmixed, authentic, flawless, genuine, natural, neat, real, simple, straight, unalloyed
- clean, germ-free, sanitary, spotless, squeaky-clean, sterilized, uncontaminated, unpolluted, untainted, wholesome
- innocent, blameless, chaste, impeccable, modest, uncorrupted, unsullied, virginal, virtuous
- complete, absolute, outright, sheer, thorough, unmitigated, unqualified, utter

---

Antonyms: impure, immoral
Contrasted words: mixed, qualified, doubtful, dubious, questionable, uncertain, contaminated, dirty, sullied
Related Idioms: as pure as the driven snow
Related Words: complete, plenary, total, authentic, genuine, classic, out-and-out, plain, utter, fresh, inviolate, unblighted, unprofaned

---

English Thesaurus: clean, pure, sterile, spotless, pristine, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

pure S3 W3 /pjʊə $ pjʊr/ adjective
[Word Family: noun: purification, purist, purity ≠ impurity, purifier; verb: purify; adverb: purely; adjective: pure ≠ impure]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pur, from Latin purus]

1. NOT MIXED [usually before noun] a pure substance or material is not mixed with anything Antonym : impure
pure silk/cotton/wool etc
pure wool blankets
rings made of pure gold
Our beef patties are 100% pure.

2. COMPLETE [only before noun] complete and total Synonym : sheer:
a work of pure genius
a smile of pure joy
My mother’s life was pure hell.
pure chance/luck/coincidence etc
By pure chance, I met Sir Malcolm that morning.
The chairman dismissed the report as pure speculation.

3. CLEAN clean and not containing anything harmful Antonym : impure:
We had trouble finding a pure water supply.
Up here the air was purer.

4. pure and simple used to emphasize that there is only one thing involved or worth considering:
He wanted revenge, pure and simple.

5. MORALLY GOOD literary without any sexual experience or evil thoughts Antonym : impure:
a pure young girl
They’re too pure and innocent to know what’s really going on.

6. COLOUR OR SOUND very clear and beautiful:
a cloudless sky of the purest blue
Her voice, clear and pure, soared up to the roof.

7. TYPICAL [only before noun] typical of a particular style:
His music is pure New York.

8. BREED/RACE bred from only one group or race:
My husband is pure Japanese and traces his family back 800 years.
The Highland is the oldest and purest breed of cattle in Britain.

9. ART OR STUDY [usually before noun] done according to an accepted standard or pattern:
Gothic architecture in its purest form

10. pure science/maths etc work in science etc that increases our knowledge of the subject rather than using it for practical purposes

11. be as pure as the driven snow to be morally perfect – used humorously to say someone is not like this at all
⇒ purely

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

pure

pure chance/luck
He had discovered the truth by pure chance.
pure coincidence
It was pure coincidence that I arrived on the same plane.
pure joy/pleasure/delight
Lucinda flashed him a smile of pure joy.
pure hatred
She remembered the look of pure hatred in his eyes.
pure speculation (=a guess that is not based on any facts)
Most of what you hear is pure speculation.
pure fantasy/fiction (=something that is not true at all)
He dismissed the allegations as ‘pure fantasy’.
pure genius
That excuse you came up with was a flash of pure genius.
pure hell
He has described this period as ‘pure hell’.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

pure
adjective
BAD: We opened the window to get some pure air.
GOOD: We opened the window to get some fresh air.
BAD: I always keep a few bottles of pure water on the boat.
GOOD: I always keep a few bottles of fresh/drinking water on the boat.

Usage Note:
Use pure when you mean 'completely clean': 'The water in the lake is so pure that you can drink it.'
The usual word for describing air and water is fresh : 'Her doctor has prescribed a good holiday and lots of fresh air.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

clean without any dirt or marks:
They need clean water to drink.
I don’t have any clean clothes.
pure water or air that is pure does not contain any dirt, pollution, or bacteria:
I breathed in the pure mountain air.
sterile /ˈsteraɪl $ -rəl/ completely clean, with no bacteria, and therefore safe for medical or scientific use:
Place a sterile bandage on the wound.
sterile needles
spotless completely clean – used mainly about rooms and clothes:
Her kitchen is always spotless.
pristine /ˈprɪstiːn/ completely clean and new-looking:
He wore a pristine white shirt.
immaculate as clean and tidy as it is possible to be:
The soldiers’ uniforms have to be immaculate.
spick and span [not before noun] informal clean and tidy, especially after having just been cleaned:
By the end of the day, the whole place was spick and span.
wash to clean something with water and usually soap:
She’s washing her hair.
There’s nowhere to wash your clothes.
wipe to clean a surface with a cloth, often a wet cloth:
Wipe the worktop when you’ve finished cooking.
scrub to wash something by rubbing it hard, especially with a brush:
They made her scrub the floor.
rinse to remove dirt from something using water, especially after washing it with soap:
Rinse your hair thoroughly after shampooing it.
cleanse formal to clean your skin, using water or a special cream:
There are many products available for cleansing your skin.
bathe /beɪð/ to clean a wound or a part of your body with water:
Bathe the cut and put a plaster on it.
do the dishes (also do the washing-up British English) to wash plates and pans after a meal:
Who’s going to help me do the dishes?
do the laundry (also do the washing British English) to wash clothes:
On Tuesdays, he does the washing.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

natural existing in nature and not caused, made, or controlled by people:
a natural lake
natural light
the earth's natural resources
We only use natural ingredients in our products.
his natural hair colour
wild used about flowers, plants, and animals that are not controlled by people. Also used about areas of land where there are no humans:
We found some wild strawberries.
wild horses
wild open spaces
pure used about food, drink, or materials that have not had anything added to them:
pure orange juice
pure new wool
organic used about fruit, vegetables, meat etc produced without using chemicals:
organic carrots
organic milk
organic beauty products
unspoiled (also unspoilt British English) a place that is unspoiled is still beautiful because no one has built roads or buildings on it:
It was a pleasant unspoilt village.
The countryside is remarkably unspoiled.
untouched [not before noun] a place that is untouched has not been affected by human activity:
There are few forested areas of the world that remain untouched by humans.
virgin [only before noun] virgin forest or land is still in its natural state and has not been spoiled or changed in any way by humans:
Large areas of virgin rainforest will be protected from destruction.
He bought 14,000 acres of virgin land in Ontario.
virgin forest/land

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲