PURPLE PROSE Definition & Meaning

purple prose

noun

writing that calls attention to itself because of its obvious use of certain effects, as exaggerated sentiment or pathos, especially in an attempt to enlist or manipulate the reader's sympathies.

purple prose

Writing full of ornate or flowery language. Ornate, flowery speech can also be referred to as purple prose.

Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"I wasn't shocked by the quality of the writing, but I was blown away by the sheer weight of purple prose, and just the shimmering wondrousness of my dad's ability with the written word," says Saul.

From

The term “purple prose” stretches back to circa 18 B.C. and the “Ars Poetica” of Horace, according to Charles Harrington Elster in his 2005 book, “What in the �y��vlog?”

From

Generally speaking, purple prose came to mean writing that is laden with flowery descriptors and/or an oppressive structure with no real payoff to a reader.

From

“Purple prose doesn’t seem to have become wholly pejorative until the 20th century when steep declines in the vocabulary and reading comprehension of college-educated Americans caused a panic in the education establishment and the newspaper industry,” Elster wrote.

From

“He ‘would sketch out something that was purple prose, not poetry.

From

Browse