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; see origin at ash ¹, -en ²

Origin of ashen²

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; see 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

See Examples For:

ashen

So that ashen cross proves an appropriate start to Lent’s season of repentance: a time to get things right in your life.

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

A slow, sad drive up the coast on Thursday revealed so much of that familiar territory reduced to ashen ruins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 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

I look grave in it, my hair pin-straight and at least a dozen different bright colors, my skin so pale it looks ashen.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu