I had my purse and commutation ticket stolen while I was sleeping on the train.
Source: tatoeba (20261)
Purse
/pɜːs/
Synonyms for "purse" (138 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (28)
Strong matches (41)
Related words (69)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: bag, handbag, pocketbook, abbreviate, and pence.
- Sentence evidence is available for purse, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "purse".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "purse"
Keep "purse" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "purse" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "purse", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "purse" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
15 entriesMore specific
8 entriesCollocations
12 entriescoin purseevening bagfacial expressionhandbaglip pursinglip roundingmouth contractionpurse contentspurse one's lipspurse snatchpurse stringspursing lips
Inflections
3 entriesTranslations
52 translations across 35 languages.
Afrikaans
1 entries- handsak noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Albanian
1 entries- punjashe noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Belarusian
2 entries- су́мачка noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- то́рбачка noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Bulgarian
1 entries- да́мска ча́нта noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 手提包 noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Czech
1 entries- kabelka noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Danish
1 entries- håndtaske noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Dutch
1 entries- handtas noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Esperanto
1 entries- mansako noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Estonian
1 entries- käekott noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Finnish
1 entries- käsilaukku noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
French
1 entries- sac à main noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
German
1 entries- Handtasche noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Greek
1 entries- τσαντάκι noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Hungarian
3 entries- erszény noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- retikül noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- ridikül noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Iranian Persian
1 entries- چَنْتِه noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Irish
1 entries- mála noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Italian
1 entries- borsetta noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Macedonian
2 entries- ташна noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- чанта noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Māori
2 entries- puhera noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- pāhi noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- håndveske noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Polish
1 entries- torebka noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Portuguese
1 entries- bolsa noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Romanian
2 entries- geantă noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- poșetă noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Russian
2 entries- су́мка noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- су́мочка noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- tòrbica noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- tórba noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- то̀рбица noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- то́рба noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Slovak
1 entries- kabelka noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Slovene
1 entries- torbica noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Spanish
4 entries- bolsa noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- bolso noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- bulto noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- cartera noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Swedish
1 entries- handväska noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Tagalog
1 entries- lukbutan noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Turkish
1 entries- el çantası noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Ukrainian
3 entries- су́мочка noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- то́рбочка noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- торби́нка noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Unami
2 entries- mënutès noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
- èmsinutay noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Uzbek
1 entries- sumka noun (small bag for carrying personal items)
Sample sentences
21 total sentences available.
I lost my purse on my way to school.
Source: tatoeba (21591)
My wife holds the purse strings in our family.
Source: tatoeba (23578)
It was not until I reached home that I missed my purse.
Source: tatoeba (24206)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "purse"?
Closest matches include bag, handbag, pocketbook, abbreviate, and pence.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "purse"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.