pale imitation
noun
: an inferior version
The remake of the movie was a pale imitation of the original.
Examples of pale imitation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While Season 1 had a few dazzling standalone episodes that broadened and deepened the show’s world, this follow up is oddly workmanlike; one flashback episode plays like a pale imitation of those highlights.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
The musical offerings of Doom: The Dark Ages are generic, or worse, a pale imitation of what came before.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
The plans include a shiny new Viper Room; a pale imitation of its seedy self.
—Edmund Vallance, AFAR Media, 18 Mar. 2025
And this season's iteration has been a pale imitation of the previous sides the Etihad Stadium has witnessed.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
The script is lacking, a pale imitation of the earlier film’s drama, but the effects are exciting.
—James Grebey, TIME, 19 July 2024
Trump painted DeSantis as a pale imitation, a Trojan horse who would if nominated be ridden into November by Jeb Bush and former House Speaker Paul Ryan.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Judy Berman, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
The musical offerings of Doom: The Dark Ages are generic, or worse, a pale imitation of what came before.
—Kazuma Hashimoto, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
The plans include a shiny new Viper Room; a pale imitation of its seedy self.
—Edmund Vallance, AFAR Media, 18 Mar. 2025
And this season's iteration has been a pale imitation of the previous sides the Etihad Stadium has witnessed.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
The script is lacking, a pale imitation of the earlier film’s drama, but the effects are exciting.
—James Grebey, TIME, 19 July 2024
Trump painted DeSantis as a pale imitation, a Trojan horse who would if nominated be ridden into November by Jeb Bush and former House Speaker Paul Ryan.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 4 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Pale imitation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pale%20imitation. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share