pale

pale — adjective

1. having a face or skin that looks whiter than is normal for the person — perhaps

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a face or skin that looks whiter than is normal for the person — perhaps from sickness, sudden fear or shock, or because their natural skin tone is light.

Example

Maya looked pale and tired after her long flight from Tokyo.

look + pale (predicative, after linking verb)

The little boy turned pale when the doctor brought out a needle.

turn pale (with cause)

Common collocations
  • pale and tired
  • deathly pale
  • go/turn pale
  • pale with fear
  • pale with shock
  • look pale
Synonyms
  • pallid

    more formal or literary; suggests an unhealthy whiteness

  • ashen

    stronger; suggests grey-white from severe shock or illness

  • wan

    literary; pale and weak-looking, often from sadness or sickness

  • white

    informal; 'go white' is everyday speech for 'turn pale'

Antonyms
  • flushed

    red in the face from heat, exercise, or emotion

  • ruddy

    having a healthy red colour in the face

Grammar Patterns

pale with [emotion]

go/turn pale

Usage Note

Subject is almost always a person, a face, or skin. Common patterns are 'go/turn pale' for a sudden change, and 'pale with [fear/shock/anger]' to name the cause. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes the lightness of any colour or light, not skin tone.

Common Mistakes

My face was pale skin from the cold.
My face went pale from the cold.
use 'go/turn pale' to describe a change in skin colour.
She is a pale.
She is pale.
'pale' is an adjective here, not a noun.

2. of a colour: soft and close to white rather than rich or vivid; of a light: weak

2.adjectiveA2
Definition

of a colour: soft and close to white rather than rich or vivid; of a light: weak or dim instead of strong.

Example

Sarah painted her bedroom walls a pale blue with white trim.

pale + colour name

The morning sky was a pale pink above the mountains.

describing soft colour in nature

Common collocations
  • pale blue
  • pale pink
  • pale yellow
  • pale green
  • pale light
  • pale moon
  • a pale shade
Synonyms
  • light

    the most common everyday word; 'light blue' = 'pale blue'

  • soft

    of colours; emphasises a gentle, muted feel

  • muted

    of colours; dulled down, often by adding grey

  • faint

    of light or colour; very weak and hard to see

Antonyms
  • bright

    strong and full of colour or light

  • deep

    of colours; rich and dark

  • vivid

    very strong and clear in colour

Grammar Patterns

pale + colour

a pale [colour]

Usage Note

Use before colour words ('a pale blue', 'pale green') or before words for sources of light ('a pale moon', 'pale sunlight'). With light, 'pale' means weak or dim. Distinguish from sense 1, which only applies to skin or faces.

Common Mistakes

The room was painted in pale.
The room was painted a pale blue.
'pale' usually goes with a colour word, not alone.
a pale strong red
a pale red
'pale' and 'strong/bright' contradict each other; don't use them together.

pale — verb

pale — noun

Word family

  • paleness
    nounC1
  • palely
    adverbC2
  • pallid
    adjectiveC1
  • pallor
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe a face or skin that has lost its usual colour, but they differ in strength and register. 'Pale' is the neutral, everyday choice and works for both a sudden change ('she went pale') and a person's natural skin tone ('a pale child'). 'Pallid' is more formal and often suggests an unhealthy whiteness, as in 'a pallid complexion after weeks indoors'. 'Ashen' is the strongest of the group: it suggests a grey-white shade caused by serious shock, fear, or illness, as in 'his face turned ashen when he heard the verdict'. 'Wan' is literary and adds a feeling of weakness or sadness, often used in fiction: 'a wan smile from the tired patient'. 'White' is the most informal: 'she went white as a sheet' is everyday speech. Use 'pale' for general description, 'ashen' for a sharp dramatic moment, and 'wan' or 'pallid' when the writing leans literary.

pale ↗pallidashenwanwhite ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • go pale
  • turn pale
  • look pale
  • pale and tired
  • deathly pale
  • a pale shade of [colour]
  • beyond the pale

Prepositions

  • with (fear/shock/anger)
  • at (the sight of / the thought of)
  • from (cold/illness)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The colour adjective 'pale' came into English in the 1300s from Old French 'pale' (faint or whitish), itself from Latin 'pallidus', meaning lacking colour. The noun senses for 'a pointed stake' and 'an enclosed area' have a separate root: they come from Latin 'palus', meaning a stake driven into the ground. Over time the noun stretched from 'a single stake' to 'a fence of stakes', and then to 'the area inside such a fence' — which is how 'the Pale' (the English-ruled district near Dublin) and the phrase 'beyond the pale' got their meaning of 'inside / outside an area of authority or acceptable behaviour'.