pallid

adjective

pal·​lid ˈpa-ləd How to pronounce pallid (audio)
1
: deficient in color : wan
a pallid countenance
2
: lacking sparkle or liveliness : dull
a pallid entertainment
The movie is a pallid version of the classic novel.
pallidly adverb
pallidness noun

Examples of pallid in a Sentence

The movie is a pallid version of the classic novel. a pallid man who looked as though he'd never seen the sun
Recent Examples on the Web Yes, in addition to the California poppy, California redwood, grizzly bear, and garibaldi fish, the pallid bat and the golden chanterelle are now official state symbols. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 3 Jan. 2024 Those two pallid politicians sat on either side of him and bickered while Jesse sat silent. Letter Writers, Twin Cities, 9 Feb. 2024 Now, this pallid Color Purple epitomizes the artistic dearth of an era when a cultural mountebank like Winfrey uses race and feminist guile to cheat us of America’s most creative achievements. Armond White, National Review, 3 Jan. 2024 In windowless laboratories underneath the north-campus bar, pallid young men wearing earplugs and T-shirts pushed Nvidia’s microchips to the brink of failure. Stephen Witt, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 Scarcity has made palates incurious, leading to a nativist turn in national appetites: Think pallid plates of fish and chips in England, a country that once hummed with curry houses sitting along a vibrant Brick Lane. Mayukh Sen, The New Republic, 19 Oct. 2023 The studios, faced with a pallid fall season, were feeling immense pressure as well. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2023 But this approach gives a fragmented and ultimately pallid portrait of a glittering musician. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023 Similarly this offered the prospect of an advance into the mechanics of reality, by comparison with which the notion of sitting alone in a room writing a book seemed entirely pallid. Rachel Cusk, Harper's Magazine, 10 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pallid.' 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

borrowed from Latin pallidus "pale, colorless" — more at pale entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pallid was in 1590

Dictionary Entries Near pallid

Cite this Entry

“Pallid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pallid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pallid

adjective
pal·​lid ˈpal-əd How to pronounce pallid (audio)
: lacking healthy color : pale
pallidly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pallid

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