1
a
: a moderate purple, violet, or lilac color
b
: a strong purple
2
: a dyestuff (see dye entry 1 sense 2) that produces a mauve color
: of the color mauve : of a moderate purple, violet, or lilac color
White china vases of mauve hyacinths scented the table …—
Hamish Bowles
Hamish BowlesExamples of mauve in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Keep an eye out for chartreuses, browns, and bright sky blues, along with sulky mauves and beiges in a plaster finish.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026
Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 16 Dec. 2025
Her hair was styled in a sleek chignon by Rena Calhoun, while her makeup featured sparkly eye shadow and a mauve lip courtesy of artist Melissa Hernandez.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mauve
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.
Noun
Finally, the sun dipped below the horizon and illuminated the sparse clouds in a smoldering fire of mauve, pink and purple.
—Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026
Keep an eye out for chartreuses, browns, and bright sky blues, along with sulky mauves and beiges in a plaster finish.
—Abby Wolner, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Madison paired the metallic pumps with a mauve Galliano-era Dior minidress — a fitting choice, considering she was named a global ambassador for the house in September.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 16 Dec. 2025
Her hair was styled in a sleek chignon by Rena Calhoun, while her makeup featured sparkly eye shadow and a mauve lip courtesy of artist Melissa Hernandez.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mauve
Cite this Entry
“Mauve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mauve. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
