wan

¹ American  

[won] / wɒn /

adjective

wanner, wannest

1. of an unnatural or sickly pallor; pallid; lacking color.

   His wan face suddenly flushed.

   Synonyms:

   ashen

   Antonyms:

   ruddy

2. showing or suggesting ill health, fatigue, unhappiness, etc..

   a wan look; a wan smile.

3. lacking in forcefulness, competence, or effectiveness.

   their wan attempts to organize the alumni.

   Synonyms:

   limp, ineffectual, halfhearted, weak, feeble

4. Archaic.

   1. dark or gloomy.

   2. pale in color or hue.

---

verb (used with or without object)

wanned, wanning

1. to become or make wan.

wan ² American  

[wahn] / wɑn /

verb

Obsolete.

1. a simple past tense of win.

---

WAN ³ American  

[wan] / wæn /

noun

1. wide-area network.

---

wan ¹ British  

/ wɒn /

adjective

1. unnaturally pale esp from sickness, grief, etc

2. characteristic or suggestive of ill health, unhappiness, etc

3. (of light, stars, etc) faint or dim

---

verb

1. to make or become wan

WAN ² British  

abbreviation

1. wide area network

2. Nigeria (international car registration)

---

WAN Scientific  

/ wăn /

1. Short for wide area network. A communications network that uses such devices as telephone lines, satellite dishes, or radio waves to span a larger geographic area than can be covered by a LAN. The Internet is a WAN.

---

Related Words

See pale ¹.

Other Word Forms

• wanly adverb
• wanness noun

Etymology

Origin of wan

before 900; Middle English; Old English wann dark, gloomy

Example Sentences

Our mother did reappear, looking wan and smiling bravely, and we had to pretend that she was fine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

But they also make one wish this wan treatment had kept Baldwin’s name out of its mouth.

From Salon • Jan. 31, 2024

She could have easily swapped roles with social media star Addison Rae, who herself plays a vaguely mean popular girl Gabby; both are brunets with long, wavy hair and similarly wan screen abilities.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 15, 2023

Is it that the many bad versions out there — soggy noodles swathed in bottled dressing and tossed with wan vegetables — make good ones hard to imagine?

From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2023

Molly burst through the door, half carrying a wan and gaunt Anat, who was struggling to stay upright.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny