pale

noun

\ˈpāl

Definition of pale

(Entry 1 of 5)

1 archaic : palisade, paling

2a : one of the stakes of a palisade

b : picket sense 1

3a : 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

pale

verb (1)

paled; paling

Definition of pale (Entry 2 of 5)

transitive verb

: to enclose with pales : fence

pale

adjective

paler; palest

Definition of pale (Entry 3 of 5)

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

pale

verb (2)

paled; paling

Definition of pale (Entry 4 of 5)

intransitive verb

: to become pale

transitive verb

: to make pale

pale-

combining form

variants: or paleo-

Definition of pale- (Entry 5 of 5)

1 : involving or dealing with ancient forms or conditions paleobotany

2 : early : primitive : archaic Paleolithic

Other Words from pale Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about pale

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Other Words from pale

Adjective

palely \ ˈpāl-lē

\ adverb

paleness \ ˈpāl-nəs

\ noun

palish \ ˈpā-lish

\ adjective

Synonyms & Antonyms for pale

Synonyms: Adjective

dull, dulled, faded, light, pastel, washed-out, washy

Antonyms: Adjective

dark, deep, gay, rich

Examples of pale in a Sentence

Adjective

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 on the Web: Noun

Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar together until pale and light. — Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, "A Chocolate Cake Recipe That’s Seriously Intense," 31 May 2018 The cases mainly develop in these younger children, who experience pale or blue skin, lips, and nail beds; shortness of breath; fatigue; confusion; headache; lightheadedness; and rapid heart rate. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Mom Issues Warning About Teething Gel After Her Daughter Nearly Died," 13 Mar. 2018 Shocking scene Police uncovered a horrific scene , with all 13 victims frail and pale. — Dipesh Navsaria, Houston Chronicle, "What parents should know to prevent — and deal with — bug bites," 6 July 2018 The duck is done to a medium rare if the juices from the fattest part of the thigh or drumstick run faintly rosy when the meat is pricked, and when the duck is lifted and drained, the last drops of juice from the vent are a pale rose. — Daniel Neman, sacbee, "Main dishes? Fruit is not forbidden," 26 June 2018 Photos showed two pale, malnourished girls shackled to bunk beds. — Crimesider Staff, CBS News, "Turpin sister's photos of shackled siblings draw gasps in court," 21 June 2018 The sun rose over the castle, the sky turning a faint pale pink and blue. — Gabrielle Russon, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Disney workers find peace with yoga at Cinderella Castle," 21 June 2018 The canyon walls rising on either side pale in comparison to the network of towers and buttes that reveal themselves downriver, where the river cuts further into the landscape. — Scott Craven, azcentral, "Lees Ferry: Gateway to Grand Canyon rafting and the Colorado River," 9 July 2018 That’s just beyond the pale and just hard to get your mind around. — Recode Staff, Recode, "Full transcript: WSJ investigative journalist John Carreyrou on Recode Decode," 3 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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. — 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. — 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. — Elliot Spagat, Houston Chronicle, "California, long a holdout, adopts mass immigration hearings," 9 July 2018 Those numbers pale when compared with other border districts that have been doing mass hearings for years. — Elliot Spagat, BostonGlobe.com, "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. — 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. — 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

If possible, search out such beauties as Snow Leopards (pale but deeply honeyed) and Serenades (rich notes of butterscotch). — Aleksandra Crapanzano, WSJ, "The 5-Minute Dessert of the Summer," 12 July 2018 Lewis is ice cold, pale, and pathetic, as Soames clings to his Victorian delusions, stuffing his emotions down, his eyes a brutish blue. — Matthew Gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "Ten actors who shone even before they were stars," 28 June 2018 Signs of heat exhaustion include, but are not limited to, moist or pale skin, heavy sweating, headache, nausea, and dizziness. — Elizabeth Finny, miamiherald, "This cow cooled off in a residential pond. Here are some ways you can stay cool, too," 26 June 2018 His hair was black, but his pale skin, inherited from his Polish father, never tanned. — Longreads, "The Cold War and its Fallout," 16 June 2018 But new photos of the 54-year-old actor looking pale and gaunt have fans worrying about his health. — Kim Willis, USA TODAY, "Johnny Depp looks shockingly thin in new photos, and fans are worried he's sick," 3 June 2018 Symptoms include rapid heart rate, lightheadedness, difficulty breathing, sleepiness, headache, skin that is pale and nails that are blue or gray. — Jen Christensen, CNN, "FDA warns that benzocaine teething products aren't safe for children," 23 May 2018 Serve the pale lager in a glass in order to drink it as the natives would by many accounts. — Bill Zimmerman, OrlandoSentinel.com, "World Cup 2018: Virtual beer crawl among the knockout-stage teams," 28 June 2018 The mixture will be pale yellow and fluffy in appearance. — Nik Sharma, SFChronicle.com, "A Brown Kitchen: Mango layer cake for a fresh summer treat," 11 July 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.