mauve

American  

[mohv] / moʊv /

noun

1. a pale bluish purple.

2. a purple dye obtained from aniline, discovered in 1856: the first of the coal-tar dyes.

---

adjective

1. of the color of mauve.

   a mauve dress.

mauve British  

/ məʊv /

noun

1. 1. any of various pale to moderate pinkish-purple or bluish-purple colours

   2. ( as adjective )

      a mauve flower

2. Also called: Perkin's mauve, mauveine. a reddish-purple aniline dye

---

Etymology

Origin of mauve

1855–60; < French: literally, mallow < Latin malva mallow

---

Explanation

Mauve is a pale, grayish-purple color. Despite how people often pronounce it, mauve should rhyme with “stove.” Mauve is a relative of purple, violet, or lilac. It shows up in sunsets, on colorful birds and flowers, and sometimes on bridesmaids’ dresses. Mauve is French for “mallow,” and was first used to describe a dye made from a mallow plant. Guess what color runs through the flowers of a mallow plant? That’s right — it’s mauve!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mauve

I would trade you a hundred Yosemite Valleys for the solitude and subtle beauty offered here at dusk, as the sun sets over the Glass Mountains and the sky turns mauve.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

You may find soft pink, mauve and lilac relaxing, or you may find yellows and reds more vibrant and lift your mood.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

It’s a callback to a mauve guest room in her childhood home with its unusual color that she always found peaceful.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

Her lips are a neutral dusty mauve, her bass guitar a lustrous red.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026

The damp grass along the edges of the paths was dotted with spikes of mauve bugle, and the sanicles and yellow archangels flowered thickly.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---