pale
1(of a person or a person's skin)
light-colored or lacking in color: a pale complexion; his pale face; a pale child.
lacking the usual intensity of color due to fear, illness, stress, etc.:She looked pale and unwell when we visited her in the nursing home.
of a low degree of chroma, saturation, or purity; approaching white or gray: pale yellow.
not bright or brilliant; dim: the pale moon.
faint or feeble; lacking vigor: a pale protest.
to become pale: to pale at the sight of blood.
to seem less important, remarkable, etc., especially when compared with something else: Platinum is so rare that even gold pales in comparison.
to make pale.
Origin of pale
1synonym study For pale
Other words for pale
5 | blanch, blench, whiten; fade, lose color |
Opposites for pale
Other words from pale
- palely, adverb
- paleness, noun
Words that may be confused with pale
Other definitions for pale (2 of 2)
a stake or picket, as of a fence.
an enclosing or confining barrier; enclosure.
an enclosed area.
a district or region within designated bounds.
(initial capital letter)
Also called Eng·lish Pale [ing-glish peyl], /ˈɪŋ glɪʃ ˈpeɪl/, I·rish Pale [ahy-rish peyl] /ˈaɪ rɪʃ ˈpeɪl/ . a district in eastern Ireland included in the Angevin Empire of King Henry II and his successors.
Also called Pale of Set·tle·ment [peyluhv set-l-muhnt] /ˈpeɪl əv ˈsɛt l mənt/ . the territories in the Russian Empire in which Jews were allowed to live.
Heraldry. an ordinary in the form of a broad vertical stripe at the center of an escutcheon.
Shipbuilding. a shore used inside to support the deck beams of a hull under construction.
Origin of pale
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pale in a sentence
But that pales in comparison to the biggest alteration—the ending.
The Unbelievable (True) Story of the World’s Most Infamous Hash Smuggler | Marlow Stern | November 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTDodson says the support thus far pales in comparison to what was offered for other disasters, such as the earthquake in Haiti.
Why Isn't Silicon Valley Doing More to Fight Ebola? | Abby Haglage | October 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMake no mistake: Kerry's alleged ineptitude pales in comparison to the haplessness of the two principals.
Israelis And Palestinians Blast Kerry For Peace Efforts | Ali Gharib | May 17, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTBut that risk pales compared to the risk of AIPAC becoming ECI or ZOA.
What you did for him yesterday always pales in comparison with what you can do for him tomorrow.
The nectar of the gods pales into nothingness when compared with a toddy such as I make, said he.
The Fifth String | John Philip SousaBrookes pales suddenly, and his eyebrows, that habitually have a supercilious elevation, rise still higher with annoyance.
Six Women | Victoria CrossHer after-history is a tragedy beside which the story just related pales to an idyl.
Romance of Roman Villas | Elizabeth W. (Elizbeth Williams) ChampneyThe worship of the earth (Tellus or Pales) and of the various heavenly bodies, was prolonged into the heart of Polytheism.
August Comte and Positivism | John-Stuart MillThey do threaten to pull down and level all park pales, and lay open, and intend to plant there very shortly.
The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth | Lewis H. Berens
British Dictionary definitions for pale (1 of 2)
/ (peɪl) /
lacking brightness of colour; whitish: pale morning light
(of a colour) whitish; produced by a relatively small quantity of colouring agent
dim or wan: the pale stars
feeble: a pale effort
Southern African a euphemism for White
to make or become pale or paler; blanch
(intr often foll by before) to lose superiority or importance (in comparison to): her beauty paled before that of her hostess
Origin of pale
1Derived forms of pale
- palely, adverb
- paleness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for pale (2 of 2)
/ (peɪl) /
a wooden post or strip used as an upright member in a fence
an enclosing barrier, esp a fence made of pales
an area enclosed by a pale
a sphere of activity within which certain restrictions are applied
heraldry an ordinary consisting of a vertical stripe, usually in the centre of a shield
beyond the pale outside the limits of social convention
(tr) to enclose with pales
Origin of pale
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with pale
see beyond the pale.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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