pallid

[pal-id]

adjective

1. pale; faint or deficient in color; wan.

   a pallid countenance.

2. lacking in vitality or interest.

   a pallid musical performance.

pallid

/ ˈpælɪd /

adjective

1. lacking colour or brightness; wan

   a pallid complexion

2. lacking vigour; vapid

   a pallid performance

Other Word Forms

• pallidly adverb
• pallidness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pallid¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin pallidus “sallow,” equivalent to pall(ēre) “to be pale” + -idus adjective suffix ( -id ⁴ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of pallid¹

C17: from Latin pallidus, from pallēre to be _pale ¹

Synonym Study

See pale ¹.

Example Sentences

Rusted metal frames and a blanket of pallid ash still sit within a few hundred feet from the ocean.

From Los Angeles Times

Tuchel's England have yet to fully reveal themselves with good performances; expected victories but pallid displays have even hinted at regression as opposed to progression.

From BBC

He looked frail and pallid — a shadow of the man Tawana knew.

From Los Angeles Times

It is all too easy to trace the skull beneath the Gazan boy’s face, the pallid skin stretching tight over every curve of bone and sagging with every hollow.

From New York Times

It is a nova, a nuclear explosion bursting forth from the pallid corpse of a long-dead star.

From New York Times

Related Words

• anemic 
• feeble 
• ghastly 
• lackluster 
• sickly 
• uninspired