ashen

1
[ ash-uhn ]
/ ˈæʃ ən /
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

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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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-uh n ]
/ 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. 2020

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