ashen

¹ American  

[ash-uhn] / ˈæʃ ən /

adjective

1. ash-colored; gray.

   Synonyms:

   ashy

2. extremely pale; drained of color; pallid.

   His face was ashen.

   Synonyms:

   colorless, pasty

3. consisting of ashes.

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ashen ² American  

[ash-uhn] / ˈæʃ ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to the ash tree or its timber.

2. made of wood from the ash tree.

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ashen ¹ British  

/ ˈæʃən /

adjective

1. drained of colour; pallid

2. consisting of or resembling ashes

3. of a pale greyish colour

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ashen ² British  

/ ˈæʃən /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or made from the ash tree or its timber

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Etymology

Origin of ashen¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; ash ¹, -en ²

Origin of ashen²

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; ash ², -en ²

Explanation

Use the word ashen to describe the pale face of someone who is shocked and upset. Your best friend might look ashen when he hears that his favorite baseball team traded its star player. The adjective ashen was first used to describe ashes, the powdery substance left over when something burns, but it soon came to mean things that have the same pale, lifeless color as ashes. Like wood or coal that starts out brown or black and loses all color in the ashes that remain, things that are ashen are pale, washed out, or even colorless. Ashen is most often applied to the complexions of those facing stressful situations.

Example Sentences

And while that ashen cross is being applied, the priest reminds us of a stark biblical lesson: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Legislators looked ashen and somber, and one of their number, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., declared it “one of the most troubling things” he’d ever witnessed.

From Salon • Dec. 8, 2025

While not much is known about the Mangkwan Clan and its leader, the trailer offers a first look at their ashen home, destroyed by a volcanic eruption.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

When Eric Trump walked out during the morning break—before most of these fireworks had even happened—he looked absolutely ashen.

From Slate • May 7, 2024

From where I sit on the field, he’s a bizarre specter, so frail and ashen.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir