pale

1 of 5

adjective

paler; palest
1
a
: deficient in color or intensity of color : pallid
a pale complexion
b(1)
: having color of reduced saturation (see saturation sense 4a)
a pale pink
(2)
: light in color especially relative to others of its kind
pale beers
2
: not bright or brilliant : dim
a pale sun shining through the fog
3
: feeble, faint
a pale imitation
palely adverb
paleness noun
palish adjective

pale

2 of 5

verb (1)

paled; paling

intransitive verb

: to become pale

transitive verb

: to make pale

pale

3 of 5

noun

1
: an area or the limits within which one is privileged or protected (as from censure)
conduct that was beyond the pale
2
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.
3
a
: one of the stakes of a palisade
4
: a perpendicular stripe on a heraldic shield
5
archaic : palisade, paling

pale

4 of 5

verb (2)

paled; paling

transitive verb

: to enclose with pales : fence

pale-

5 of 5

combining form

see paleo-

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
Adjective
The final look is stunning with bright green and pale purple layers. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Available in two designs—pink and pale green or blue and gray—both with a bright yellow handle, this case has a wide ridge around the edges for easy gripping. Tanya Edwards, Parents, 13 Mar. 2024 Louis Vuitton gown in pale blue, writer-director-producer Ava DuVernay also went tonal with her jewelry, wearing earrings and a pair of rings by Reza. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 But another color was the talk of Tinseltown on Sunday as pale blue and mint gowns ruled the carpet. Maane Khatchatourian, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Opponents say cost savings are overstated Opponents say those long-term savings are overstated and pale in comparison to cost reductions of 20% or more that could be achieved based on competitive bidding in other states. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 April marks the beginning of Ojai Pixie Month which celebrates the harvest of pixie tangerines, the small, seedless, easy-to-peel, and incredibly sweet, pale orange fruit, grown by over 40 producers in Ventura County. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 The beloved couple introduced modern farmhouse decor to millions of homeowners who took to heart Joanna’s love of moody color paired with neutrals, barn doors, pale wood, and, of course, shiplap. Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2024 Their bodies are mostly grey in color, but adults have a distinct red crown on their heads with pale white cheeks. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
But the trash this will eventually produce pales in comparison to that produced by households, coal ash and plastic waste. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024 Residents are still concerned, as the number of alerts issued pales in comparison to the hundreds of children who remained missing in Milwaukee alone, the state’s Blackest city, in 2022. Char Adams, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023 Still, international officials and aid groups have said the amount of aid supplied so far pales in comparison to the widespread need across Gaza. Bryan Pietsch, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2023 The film — a sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel, which opened to $153 million back in 2019 — made the most of any film released over the weekend, but its $47 million-grossed pales in comparison to the 32 other films Marvel Studios has released within its interconnected universe since 2008's Iron Man. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023 The stakes at hand for the Warriors’ season pale in comparison to the unimaginable loss of life most of this team witnessed firsthand. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024 However, a 90 percent success rate pales compared to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which has now amassed more than 230 straight successful launches. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 19 Sep. 2023 Still, a $20 million jackpot pales in comparison to last month’s $1.7 billion. Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 17 Nov. 2023 The total wealth for those under 55 pales in comparison, only 2.5 times bigger during the same time frame. Bychloe Berger, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2023
Verb
That pales in comparison to states like Texas and Arizona, which have total investments of $123 billion and $80 billion respectively. Akayla Gardner, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 But the psychological demands placed on him by these efforts must have paled in comparison to the burden placed on him by his latest effort, The Truth vs. Alex Jones, which required him to stare at the face of its repugnant subject over the course of many months. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 The small group of frustrated senators also pales in comparison with the fury in the House, where hard-right members railed against House Speaker Mike Johnson for not threatening a partial government shutdown over GOP policy priorities. USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2024 But any change in size would pale in significance compared to a change in access. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 The cost of additional bus service would pale compared to a gondola. Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 But the big game's viewership still pales in comparison to a TV event that took place more than a half century ago: The Apollo 11 moon landing, as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to step foot on the lunar surface. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2024 Such a tally pales in comparison to January’s whopping 353,000 job gains. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 All of which boils down to the expectation that, while some attractive deals remain out there to be made, upstream M&A action for 2024 will likely pale in comparison to 2023. David Blackmon, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English pale, paal, palle, borrowed from Anglo-French pale, palle, paille (also continental Old French), borrowed (with loss of unstressed -id-) from Latin pallidus "pale, colorless," formed with the adjective suffix -idus from the same base as pallēre "to be pale or bloodless, have a pale color," pallor "paleness of complexion, loss of color" — more at fallow entry 1

Verb (1)

Middle English palen, borrowed from Anglo-French palir (continental Old French palir, paloïr), going back (with conjugation change) to Latin pallēscere "to grow pale, turn a pale color," inchoative derivative of pallēre "to be pale or bloodless, have a pale color" — more at fallow entry 1

Noun and Verb (2)

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

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pale was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pale

Cite this Entry

“Pale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pale. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pale

1 of 3 adjective
paler; palest
1
a
: light in color or shade : not vivid
a pale pink
b
: not having the warm skin color of a person in good health : pallid
became pale
2
: not bright or brilliant : dim
pale sunshine
palely adverb
paleness noun

pale

2 of 3 verb
paled; paling
: to make or become pale

pale

3 of 3 noun
1
: a stake or picket of a fence
2
: an enclosed place
3
: territory within clearly marked bounds or under a particular authority
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English pale "lacking in color," from early French pale (same meaning), from Latin pallidus (same meaning), from pallēre "to be pale"

Noun

Middle English pale "paling, picket," from early French pal "stake," from Latin palus (same meaning) — related to travel see Word History at travel

Medical Definition

pale

adjective
paler; palest
: deficient in color or intensity of color
a pale face
paleness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on pale

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