pallid
Americanadjective
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pale; faint or deficient in color; wan.
a pallid countenance.
-
lacking in vitality or interest.
a pallid musical performance.
adjective
-
lacking colour or brightness; wan
a pallid complexion
-
lacking vigour; vapid
a pallid performance
Synonym Usage
See pale 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pallid
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin pallidus “sallow,” equivalent to pall(ēre) “to be pale” + -idus adjective suffix ( see -id 4)
Explanation
Santa looks a little pallid, meaning that he has a pale complexion, from spending too much time at the North Pole. A few days in Hawaii might do wonders to add color to his pale, bearded face. Pallid means pale, or lacking color. It's often used together with complexion to describe someone who has a pale face, either due to a lack of sunshine or some kind of emotional distress. A reclusive author could be pallid from spending too much time indoors. His books can also be called pallid if they're lacking in color and excitement.
Vocabulary lists containing pallid
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The work depicts a group of characters who find themselves trapped in a warren of bizarrely laid-out rooms resembling empty offices, illuminated by a pallid yellow light.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
On the silver screen, it dazzles like few contemporary science fiction films do, opting for color over the pallid gray verisimilitude that often bogs down its peers.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
The plan to cut jobs comes as Heineken reported a 1.7% on-year drop in beer volumes in the last three months of 2025 against a pallid consumer backdrop.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
Tuchel's England have yet to fully reveal themselves with good performances; expected victories but pallid displays have even hinted at regression as opposed to progression.
From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025
It seeped a pallid light into the citadel’s gloom and turned the moth to smoke on the table.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
