pale
1
[ peyl ]
/ peɪl /
adjective, pal·er, pal·est.
verb (used without object), paled, pal·ing.
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.
verb (used with object)
to make pale.
Origin of pale
1
1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French < Latin
pallidus
pallid
SYNONYMS FOR pale
1
Pale, pallid, wan imply an absence of color, especially from the human countenance.
Pale implies a faintness or absence of color, which may be natural when applied to things,
the pale blue of a violet, but when used to refer to the human face usually means an unnatural and often temporary absence of color, as arising from sickness or sudden emotion:
pale cheeks.
Pallid , limited mainly to the human countenance, implies an excessive paleness induced by intense emotion, disease, or death:
the pallid lips of the dying man.
Wan implies a sickly paleness, as after a long illness:
wan and thin; the suggestion of weakness may be more prominent than that of lack of color:
a wan smile.
5 blanch, lose color.
OTHER WORDS FROM pale
pale·ly, adverb pale·ness, nounWords nearby pale
Definition for pale (2 of 3)
pale
2
[ peyl ]
/ peɪl /
noun
verb (used with object), paled, pal·ing.
to enclose with pales; fence.
to encircle or encompass.
Definition for pale (3 of 3)
Also
especially British,
palae-.
Example sentences from the Web for pale
British Dictionary definitions for pale (1 of 2)
pale
1
/ (peɪl) /
adjective
verb
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
Derived forms of pale
palely, adverb paleness, nounWord Origin for pale
C13: from Old French
palle, from Latin
pallidus pale, from
pallēre to look wan
British Dictionary definitions for pale (2 of 2)
pale
2
/ (peɪl) /
noun
verb
(tr)
to enclose with pales
Word Origin for pale
C14: from Old French
pal, from Latin
pālus stake; compare
pole
1
Idioms and Phrases with pale
pale
see beyond the pale.