wan

[ won ]

/ wɒn /

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adjective, wan·ner, wan·nest.

of an unnatural or sickly pallor; pallid; lacking color: His wan face suddenly flushed.

showing or suggesting ill health, fatigue, unhappiness, etc.: a wan look; a wan smile.

lacking in forcefulness, competence, or effectiveness: their wan attempts to organize the alumni.

Archaic.

dark or gloomy.
pale in color or hue.

verb (used with or without object), wanned, wan·ning.

to become or make wan.

OTHER WORDS FOR wan

1 ashen.

3 feeble, weak, halfhearted, ineffectual, limp.

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OPPOSITES FOR wan

1 ruddy.

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Question 1 of 7

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of wan

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

synonym study for wan

1. See pale¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM wan

wanly, adverbwanness, noun

Other definitions for wan (2 of 3)

wan²

[ wahn ]

/ wɑn /

verb Obsolete.

a simple past tense of win¹.

Other definitions for wan (3 of 3)

WAN

[ wan ]

/ wæn /

noun

wide-area network.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wan in a sentence

A pallid haze breathes wanly on the surface of the impassive sky.
The Dragon Painter|Mary McNeil Fenollosa
By the time she had turned from the sink again, a shadow of her hopefulness came wanly back.
Country Neighbors|Alice Brown
Autumns, clear-eyed and sweet-breathed, faded wanly in the smoke of their forest fires.
Blazed Trail Stories|Stewart Edward White
She smiled wanly at him from among the pillows out of the gloom.
The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio

Valeria always sat a little apart in the shadow, and if anyone spoke to her she replied softly and smiled wanly.
The Devourers|Annie Vivanti Chartres

British Dictionary definitions for wan (1 of 2)

wan

/ (wɒn) /

adjective wanner or wannest

unnaturally pale esp from sickness, grief, etc

characteristic or suggestive of ill health, unhappiness, etc

(of light, stars, etc) faint or dim

verb wans, wanning or wanned

to make or become wan

Derived forms of wan

wanly, adverbwanness, noun

Word Origin for wan

Old English wann dark; related to wanian to wane

British Dictionary definitions for wan (2 of 2)

WAN

abbreviation for

wide area network

Nigeria (international car registration)

Word Origin for WAN

From W(est) A(frica) N(igeria)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for wan

WAN

[ wăn ]

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.