sallow

¹ American  

[sal-oh] / ˈsæl oʊ /

adjective

sallower, sallowest

1. of a sickly, yellowish or lightish brown color.

   sallow cheeks; a sallow complexion.

   Synonyms:

   jaundiced, bilious

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verb (used with object)

1. to make sallow.

sallow ² American  

[sal-oh] / ˈsæl oʊ /

noun

British.

1. any of several shrubby Old World willows, especially Salix atrocinerea or the pussy willow, S. caprea.

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sallow ¹ British  

/ ˈsæləʊ /

adjective

1. (esp of human skin) of an unhealthy pale or yellowish colour

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verb

1. (tr) to make sallow

sallow ² British  

/ ˈsæləʊ /

noun

1. any of several small willow trees, esp the Eurasian Salix cinerea ( common sallow ), which has large catkins that appear before the leaves

2. a twig or the wood of any of these trees

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Other Word Forms

• sallowish
  adjective
• sallowly
  adverb
• sallowness
  noun
• sallowy
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sallow¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English sal(o)we, Old English salo; cognate with Old Norse sǫlr “yellow”; compare French sale “dirty” (from Germanic )

Origin of sallow²

before 900; Middle English; Old English sealh; cognate with Old High German salaha, Latin salix

Explanation

Sallow means unhealthy in appearance — often yellow in color — and is almost invariably used to describe someone's complexion. His smile was as engaging as ever, but from his sallow complexion, I knew he was sick. Usually we say that when someone is sick they turn "green." You could also say their skin takes on a sallow look, and you'd mean the same thing. Sallow also describes the way someone looks if they have lost blood or are pale from fever. This word comes from Germanic roots meaning "dusky" or "dirty."

Example Sentences

The results were patchy, worsening the effect of my grown-out roots and sallow skin.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2022

She glanced up at the sallow light of the former prison cell and, with a little laugh, quoted me a snatch of Heidegger: “Where there is danger, there grows what saves.”

From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2022

To Vasily’s left, one man lay against a grass verge next to his bicycle, his face sallow and eyes sunken.

From Reuters • Apr. 2, 2022

“If you’re cool, these warm colors will give you that sallow, yellow look to your skin. Even the whites of your eyes can go a little bit yellow.”

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2021

The light in the room was sallow, the sun already well into its descent.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson