pale¹ Definition
pale (pāl)
adjective pal′er, pal′·est
- of a whitish or colorless complexion; pallid; wan
- lacking intensity or brilliance: said of color, light, etc.; faint; dim
- feeble; weak a pale imitation
Etymology: OFr < L pallidus, pale: see fallow
intransitive verb paled, pal′·ing
- to become pale
- to seem weaker or less important
transitive verb
to make pale
pale¹ Related Forms
pale² Definition
pale (pāl)
noun
- a narrow, upright, pointed stake used in fences; picket
- a fence; enclosure; boundary; restriction: now chiefly figurative outside the pale of the law, beyond the pale (of respectability)
- a territory or district enclosed within bounds
- Bot. a chaffy bract or scale; esp., a bract at the base of a floret of a composite flower
- 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.
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*. 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 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
- ‹ palazzos
- ‹ palazzo
- ‹ Palawan
- ‹ palaver
- ‹ Palau
- ‹ palatine
- ‹ Palatinate
- ‹ palatial
- ‹ palate
- ‹ palatalize
- pale dry ›
- pale- ›
- palea ›
- Palearctic ›
- paleethnology ›
- paleface ›
- Palembang ›
- paleness ›
- Palenque ›
- Paleo-Indian ›

