Dictionary.com

ashen

1
[ ash-uhn ]
/ ˈæʃ ən /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for ashen on Thesaurus.com

adjective

ash-colored; gray.
extremely pale; drained of color; pallid: His face was ashen.
consisting of ashes.

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
it's
its
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of ashen

1
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at ash1, -en2

Words nearby ashen

Ashdod, Ashdown, Ashe, Ashe, Arthur, Asheboro, ashen, ashen light, Asher, Asherah, Asherite, ashes

Definition for ashen (2 of 2)

ashen2
[ ash-uhn ]
/ ˈæʃ ən /

adjective

pertaining to the ash tree or its timber.
made of wood from the ash tree.

Origin of ashen

2
before 1000; Middle English, Old English; see ash2, -en2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to ashen

anemic, blanched, cadaverous, colorless, ghastly, gray, leaden, pale, pallid, pasty, sallow, wan, white

Example sentences from the Web for ashen

British Dictionary definitions for ashen (1 of 2)

ashen1
/ (ˈæʃən) /

adjective

drained of colour; pallid
consisting of or resembling ashes
of a pale greyish colour

British Dictionary definitions for ashen (2 of 2)

ashen2
/ (ˈæʃən) /

adjective

of, relating to, or made from the ash tree or its timber
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
What's This Word?