pale Hear it!

pale¹ Definition

pale (pāl)

adjective paler, pal·est

  1. of a whitish or colorless complexion; pallid; wan
  2. lacking intensity or brilliance: said of color, light, etc.; faint; dim
  3. feeble; weak a pale imitation

Etymology: OFr < L pallidus, pale: see fallow

intransitive verb paled, pal·ing

  1. to become pale
  2. to seem weaker or less important

transitive verb

to make pale

pale¹ Related Forms

palely adverb pale·ness noun

pale² Definition

pale (pāl)

noun

  1. a narrow, upright, pointed stake used in fences; picket
  2. a fence; enclosure; boundary; restriction: now chiefly figurative outside the pale of the law, beyond the pale (of respectability)
  3. a territory or district enclosed within bounds
  4. Bot. a chaffy bract or scale; esp., a bract at the base of a floret of a composite flower
  5. Heraldry a vertical band forming the middle third of a shield

Etymology: ME < MFr pal < L palus, a stake < IE base *pak-, to fasten (as by ramming into the ground) > Gr passalos, a peg, stake, L pax, peace

pale Synonyms

pale

modif.

  1. Wan

    pallid, wan, ashen, ashy, pasty, waxen, sickly, anemic, colorless, bloodless, livid, ghastly, cadaverous, haggard, deathlike, ghostly, spectral, white, gray, sallow, etiolated, blanched, whey-faced, drained, peaked, washed-out*, white as a sheet*, green around the gills*.

  2. Lacking color or intensity

    bleached, light, pastel, soft, soft-hued, creamy, whitish, dim, faint, faded, feeble, chalky, washed-out.

pale, in this comparison the least connotative of these words, implies merely an unnatural whiteness or colorlessness, often temporary, of the complexion; pallid suggests a paleness resulting from exhaustion, faintness, emotional strain, etc.; wan suggests the paleness resulting from an emaciating illness; ashen implies the grayish paleness of the skin as in death; livid refers to a grayish-blue complexion, as of one in great rage or fear, but is also sometimes used now of a white or red complexion

pale Synonyms

pale

v.

grow pale, lose color, blanch; see faint, whiten 1.

pale Usage Examples

Preposition: as

ghost: Every time the film goes back to England we are met by a dreary world with pompous nobles and pale as a ghost Kate.

Preposition: into

  • insignificance: Our sins whatever they may be, pale into insignificance compared to His own.
  • comparison: The Asian financial crisis will dent export expectations, however that market pales into comparison with the Nato states.
  • significance: Even'Sheffield: Sex City' would pale into significance.

Adjective modifier

  • deathly: He was deathly pale, yet he seemed fired with a hope; his eyes shone.
  • ghastly: On the watch last night I saw It, like a man, tall and thin, and ghastly pale.
  • deadly: I've not fallen as low as that, ' said Herrick, deadly pale.

Modifies a noun

  • imitation: Now renamed simply Hancock, the season was overall a pale imitation of its former glory.
  • complexion: One of the men is described as being thin, about six feet tall and with a pale complexion.
  • yellow: Pale yellow in color with red / brown streaks.
  • shadow: The moon was up casting pale shadows among the ruins of the village.
  • gray: Exterior surface: pale brown; interior surface pale gray brown; core: gray.
  • ale: Rob Hill's new business venture Highland Brewery Company launched the new Scapa Special which is a classic pale ale.

Used with adjective complement

  • turn: His face turned pale, he was struggling for air.
  • appear: There is the same amount of red pigment on the surface of the balloon it is just spread more thinly and appears pale.
  • grow: As Johnson says of the Swedish monarch: " He left the name at which the world grew pale.
  • look: Why dost start, Draw back, and look so pale?

Preposition: in

  • comparison: The level of violence still pales in comparison to the carnage of the turf wars between rival crack gangs a decade ago.
  • color: They are only little things, about 3 inches long, and paler in color than some I have seen.

Preposition: by

comparison: Every joy I had known was pale by comparison.

Browse dictionary entries near pale

  1. palazzos
  2. palazzo
  3. Palawan
  4. palaver
  5. Palau
  6. palatine
  7. Palatinate
  8. palatial
  9. palate
  10. palatalize
  1. pale dry
  2. pale-
  3. palea
  4. Palearctic
  5. paleethnology
  6. paleface
  7. Palembang
  8. paleness
  9. Palenque
  10. Paleo-Indian