to purse
- verb
- /pɜrs/
- On the left, Jim is in profile looking away as he purses his lips.
- pursed lips
He stood stock still, pursed his lips, stared up at the ceiling.
- He stood stock still, pursed his lips, stared up at the ceiling.
- Now purse your lips, keeping your mouth closed.
- Trump scanned the Rose to his left as he walked down the center aisle, pursing his lips.
- I have learned, actually, that tension shows up in my mouth often before it shows up in my brain and I I purse my lips when I'm tense.
- It's like those long, big, big, big inhale and then a long exhale through purse lips.
- Just put your face, your mouth or your lips, your pursed lips on the luggage and breathe it right into the bag.
Examples
-
The woman looked at Della for an answer, but Della pursed her lips and pretended she hadn't heard the question.
Fiction book (1992) -
Can you purse your lips for me a little bit?
-
Now purse your lips, keeping your mouth closed.
-
Come on, Korg, purse those lips.
-
That's it, just purse your lips.
-
OK, I'm like pursing my lips as I'm doing this.
-
You'll never get a tight stream until you build up your lip muscles to the point where you can purse your lips like this.
-
Again, you're pursing your lips in anticipation.
-
Her expression was reserved, her lips pursed slightly as if she tasted something sour.
Fiction book (1991) -
For the best sound, you should purse your lips tightly while playing the flute.
Synonyms
To make a small fold in cloth, paper, or skin
To make small wrinkles in skin or cloth
To make lines or wrinkles in the skin, often on the forehead
To push your lips forward as if to kiss
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
To manage money for a household or group and decide how to spend it
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- UK
A money allowance for a king or queen to pay personal expenses separate from government money
- Specialized
A stitch that goes around an opening and pulls the edges together to close it
- Specialized
An operation that sews the lower part of the womb closed during pregnancy to prevent early birth
- Specialized
A large net two boats use to surround a group of fish and close at the bottom with a line
- Archaic
A strong current that pulls water and swimmers away from the shore after waves break
A small plant that has white flowers and heart-shaped seed pods and often grows as a weed
How Tightly
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word purse as a verb, meaning to 'purse' your lips, comes from the image of drawing things together into a small bag or fold, like gathering a pouch. That's why to purse your lips is to bring them together into small folds or wrinkles.