pale

noun \ ˈpāl \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: pale in a Sentence

Definition of pale

1 archaic : palisade, paling

2 a : one of the stakes of a palisade

b : picket 1

3 a : a space or field having bounds : enclosure

The cattle were led into the pale.

b : a territory or district within certain bounds or under a particular jurisdiction

British culture survived even within the Roman pale.

4 : an area or the limits within which one is privileged or protected (as from censure)

conduct that was beyond the pale

5 : a perpendicular stripe on a heraldic shield

See pale defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of pale from the Web

Meghan is wearing an off-the-shoulder pale pink bespoke dress by Carolina Herrera with a matching hat by Phillip Treacy.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Meghan Markle and the Rest of the Royals Celebrate the Queen’s Birthday," 9 June 2018
Meghan chose a pale pink dress by British label Goat for the occasion, worn with a matching saucer-style hat by milliner Philip Treacy.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Prince Harry, Meghan Markle appear at first royal event as newlyweds," 22 May 2018
James Corden also showed up at the royal affair wearing a black suit and tie while his wife donned a pale, pink dress and hat.

— Fox News, "Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's wedding full of A-listers from George Clooney to Oprah to Serena Williams," 19 May 2018
Buy Photo In the summer of 1968, Ella Mae Smith’s skin went pale and an unholy hunger sent her shuffling through verdant fields in search of human flesh.

— jason nark, Philly.com, "The dead celebrate birthdays in Western Pa., the zombie capital of the world," 2 May 2018
To win in court, said Kansas City lawyer Mitchell Burgess, the error must have been so far beyond the pale as to seem intentional.

— mike hendricks, kansascity, "Firefighters protect us. Who protects them?," 13 July 2018
Instead, Trump’s SCOTUS search mirrored the his broader scheme to reshape the American judiciary in a whiter shade of pale.

— will bunch, Philly.com, "The unbearable whiteness of being Trump's judicial picks | Will Bunch," 10 July 2018
Beer production began in June with an American pale collaboration between Field and Centerpoint Brewing.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "18 new restaurants in Carmel, Noblesville, Westfield and Indianapolis' north side," 27 June 2018
Sis rocks inches and bundles that would make Rapunzel pale with envy.

— refinery29.com, "Nicki Minaj's Hair Now Touches The Floor — & We Have All The Details," 14 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pale

Middle English, from Anglo-French pel, pal stake, from Latin palus — more at pole

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

pale

verb

Definition of pale

paled; paling

transitive verb

: to enclose with pales : fence

Recent Examples of pale from the Web

Those numbers pale when compared to other border districts that have been doing mass hearings for years.

— elliot spagat, Houston Chronicle, "California, long a holdout, adopts mass immigration hearings," 9 July 2018
Those numbers pale when compared to other border districts that have been doing mass hearings for years.

— NBC News, "California, long a holdout, adopts mass immigration hearings," 8 July 2018
Those numbers pale when compared to other border districts that have been doing mass hearings for years.

— Washington Post, "California, long a holdout, adopts mass immigration hearings," 8 July 2018
But states’ own estimates may pale compared with their true impact on poor people who struggle to find enough work and lack child care, job training or transportation.

— WSJ, "Are Medicaid Work Requirements a Good Idea?," 24 June 2018
De Reyes acknowledged that the company will pay a small premium to get parts and raw materials to Alaska, but those prices will pale in comparison to the cost and logistical challenges of staying in the Lower 48.

— author: elwood brehmer, Anchorage Daily News, "Startup plans to revolutionize the air cargo industry, starting with Alaska," 15 June 2018
There are smaller, quieter causes that might pale by comparison yet still are wrongs in need of remedy, wrongs worth noticing, wrongs worth somebody caring about.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "End the illogical shame and get Schnellenberger into College Football Hall of Fame," 11 June 2018
But try it once, and everything else will suddenly pale in comparison.

— molly young, New York Times, "Letter of Recommendation: Escape Rooms," 25 Apr. 2018
All of Salah's awards will pale into insignificance compared to the Champions League, which Liverpool could win for the first time since 2005.

— SI.com, "Mohamed Salah Named Premier League Player of the Season," 13 May 2018

Origin and Etymology of pale

see ¹pale

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

pale

adjective

Definition of pale

paler; palest

1 : deficient in color or intensity of color : pallid

a pale complexion

2 : not bright or brilliant : dim

a pale sun shining through the fog

3 : feeble, faint

a pale imitation

4 : deficient in chroma

a pale pink

—

palely

play \ˈpāl-lē\ adverb

—

paleness

play \ˈpāl-nəs\ noun

—

palish

play \ˈpā-lish\ adjective

See pale defined for English-language learners

See pale defined for kids

Examples of pale in a Sentence

the pale wood of the table
The walls were painted a pale blue.
She has a pale complexion.
Her illness had left her pale and weak.
She grew pale with fright.
Are you feeling well? You look pale.
the pale light of dawn

Recent Examples of pale from the Web

Weinstein, who looked pale and appeared to have lost weight since his last court appearance, has already surrendered his passport and been fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet.

— richard winton, latimes.com, "Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to new charges; judge lets him stay free," 9 July 2018
The dancers, barefoot, wear billowing pajamas — these in pale green, those in off-white — designed by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung.

— New York Times, "Review: Pam Tanowitz’s ‘Four Quartets’ Hits Poetic Heights," 8 July 2018
And in terms of color, well, there wasn’t much outside of a stream of grays and black; save for a shimmering Adut Akech in pale green who closed the show as Chanel’s latest and greatest bride.

— refinery29.com, "Chanel’s Latest Haute Couture Show Was More Than An Homage To Paris," 5 July 2018
The children ages 2 to 29 were mostly pale and severely underweight, they hadn't bathed for months and the house reeked of human waste.

— brian melley, Fox News, "Prosecutor: Abused kids upbringing like 'Lord of the Flies'," 22 June 2018
The color palate was soothing, from pale blue, sea green, cream and gray offset by orange and red.

— Washington Post, "Prada redefines youthful elegance with psychedelic flair," 17 June 2018
The ovens are used to blacken the crust on a ruddy skirt steak sliced and fanned so that its ruby interior is set against pale-green sweet-pea puree and hot, oily salsa macha.

— mike sula, Chicago Reader, "Under chef Erling Wu-Bower, Pacific Standard Time is now," 14 June 2018
Add garlic and pale-green and white scallion parts and cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

— andy baraghani, Bon Appetit, "Chicken Soup with Caramelized Ginger," 26 Mar. 2018
The ban, signed into law Tuesday, appears problematic for pale-skinned, sun-worshiping environmentalists who love to snorkel and have an aversion to carcinoma.

— peter fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Hawaii to ban sunscreen that damages coral," 7 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of pale

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin pallidus, from pallēre to be pale — more at fallow

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

pale Synonyms

pale

verb

Definition of pale

paled; paling

intransitive verb

: to become pale

transitive verb

: to make pale

First Known Use of pale

14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

pale-

combining form

variants: or paleo-

Definition of pale-

1 : involving or dealing with ancient forms or conditions

paleobotany

2 : early : primitive : archaic

Paleolithic

Origin and Etymology of pale-

Greek palai-, palaio- ancient, from palaios, from palai long ago; probably akin to Greek tēle far off, Sanskrit carama last

PALE Defined for English Language Learners

pale

adjective

Definition of pale for English Language Learners

: light in color
: having a skin color that is closer to white than is usual or normal
of light : not bright or intense

PALE Defined for Kids

pale

adjective \ ˈpāl \

Definition of pale for Students

paler; palest

1 : having very light skin

2 : having a lighter skin color than normal because of sickness or fear

3 : not bright or brilliant

a pale star

4 : light in color or shade

pale pink

—

paleness

noun

pale

verb

Definition of pale for Students

paled; paling

1 : to lose color She paled when the wound was described to her.

2 : to make or become less adequate, impressive, or intense

My science project paled in comparison to those of the other students.

Medical Dictionary

pale

adjective \ ˈpā(ə)l \

medical Definition of pale

paler; palest

: deficient in color or intensity of color

a pale face

—

paleness

play \-nəs\ noun

Learn More about pale

See words that rhyme with pale Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pale Spanish Central: Translation of pale Nglish: Translation of pale for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pale for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pale

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Definition of pale

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Origin and Etymology of pale

pale

Definition of pale

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Origin and Etymology of pale

pale

Definition of pale

palely

paleness

palish

Examples of pale in a Sentence

Recent Examples of pale from the Web

Origin and Etymology of pale

pale Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Related Words

pale

Definition of pale

First Known Use of pale

pale-

Definition of pale-

Origin and Etymology of pale-

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PALE Defined for English Language Learners

pale

Definition of pale for English Language Learners

PALE Defined for Kids

pale

Definition of pale for Students

paleness

pale

Definition of pale for Students

Medical Dictionary

pale

medical Definition of pale

paleness

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