1
as in faded
lacking intensity of color
we chose a very pale pink for the walls of the room
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pallid
lacking a healthy skin color
after a week with the flu, she was deathly pale and noticeably thinner
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vague
not seen or understood clearly
a pale outline off in the distance proved to be someone out for a walk
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to bleach
to make white or whiter by removing color
the sun eventually paled my bright blue shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in paling
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pale
Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The material here is thankfully weather-resistant, and the 17.5-foot long screen will make your flat-screen TV pale in comparison.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 23 July 2025
Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
This makes red blood cells small and pale, causing fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
David O'Brien, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
The gamble paled in comparison to the hand their newest subject, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, went all-in on in the oil fields.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pale
Adjective
China, meanwhile, has installed the world’s largest turbine off the coast of Taiwan and is building the world’s largest hydropower plant in Tibet, which will make the famous Three Gorges Dam pale in comparison.
—Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The material here is thankfully weather-resistant, and the 17.5-foot long screen will make your flat-screen TV pale in comparison.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 23 July 2025
Verb
Both, however, pale in comparison to the power segment, which accounted for more than 50% of revenue last year.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
This makes red blood cells small and pale, causing fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Noun
But all of that paled next to seeing him in person Friday, when Cox stood from his wheelchair and waved from a private suite to a standing ovation from Braves fans and members of his 1995 World Series championship team, who were standing on the infield after being introduced before him.
—David O'Brien, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
The gamble paled in comparison to the hand their newest subject, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, went all-in on in the oil fields.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pale
Adjective
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Williams, in a faded plaid shirt, gray hair sprouting from under a John Deere hat, paced.—
Molly Parker,
ProPublica,
4 Sep. 2025
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While some might have a faded tie-dye shirt in the back of their closet and listen to the occasional Grateful Dead album, seniors across the spectrum are turning to cannabis—many for the first time.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Morfydd Clark, pallid at first, has some emotive scenes at the wedding when Ophelia rails at Hamlet for turning away from her.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
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Yet senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk recently took one of those pallid lumps and coaxed utter brilliance from it.—
Chris Morocco,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Allowing the President to unlawfully remove Governor Cook on unsubstantiated and vague allegations would endanger the stability of our financial system and undermine the rule of law.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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But many of the recommendations were vague or lacked the teeth some experts hoped to see from a document MAHA allies for months had said would dramatically transform the health of Americans.—
Will McDuffie,
ABC News,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The coral, now bleached, is alive, but slowly starving.—
Denise Hruby,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
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For example, coral reefs are bleaching more often and dying due to ocean warming and acidification, undermining fisheries, marine biodiversity and economic sectors such as tourism.—
Lauren Gifford,
Space.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Earlier this week, transit officials in North Carolina released a graphic video showing the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Zarutska on a light rail train.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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By removing color, the focus shifts to texture, light, gesture, and gaze — emphasizing the nuances of connection and the multiplicity of what love can look like beyond normative, romanticized ideals.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Applebee’s recently managed its first quarter of same-store sales growth after eight consecutive declines, a faint improvement, but one that pales in comparison to the surge at Chili’s or the steady gains at Olive Garden.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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This leads to signals that are often faint, easily drowned out by background noise, and difficult to isolate in complex biological environments such as blood or tissue.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Midnight blue, a heavier shade, has been favored in recent years as the summer fades and fall approaches.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
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As the sun set over the East River, the music faded but the warmth lingered.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One camp might have moldy walls and machinery stored inches from a sleeping area.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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The occurrences grew more aggressive over time, with the Smurls' 75-pound German shepherd getting slammed into a wall and Jack getting attacked while praying.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pale. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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