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
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lacking vigour; vapid
a pallid performance
Related Words
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.
Pallid performances on the part of Clarke, Amy Seimetz, who plays Louis’ wife, and Jeté Laurence, who plays the couple’s daughter, keep “Pet” from connecting deeply with the viewer’s emotions.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 4, 2019
I scrubbed cups and harassed Pallid into opening a sticky jar of damson-plum jam.
From The New Yorker • May 1, 2017
Pallid dudes surrounded by dorm-room décor rhapsodize over their first console and the discovery of game-playing soul mates.
From New York Times • Jul. 17, 2014
Pallid, his bony frame trembling beneath two overcoats and a pair of wool pajamas he lurched dramatically to the defendant's bench and lay there on his side, gasping for air, his throat fluttering.
From Time Magazine Archive
Pallid, leathery skin sagged over his fleshless bones.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
