1
as in faded
lacking intensity of color
we chose a very pale pink for the walls of the room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of pale
Matt Emma, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
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
Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
Boultier expresses similar views and suggests steering clear of muddy pastels like dusty lilac or pale mint green.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
David K. Li, NBC news, 26 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
For Katz, the financial success and recognition of NRS pale in comparison to the way the company is helping small business owners.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
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
Verb
This is the top reason designer Sara McDaniel of Simply Southern Cottage loves applying pale yellow paint to cabinets.
—Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
Boultier expresses similar views and suggests steering clear of muddy pastels like dusty lilac or pale mint green.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
There were 1,381 girls who played baseball last academic year — a surprisingly high number that still pales in comparison to the 472,598 boys in caps and cleats.
—David K. Li, NBC news, 26 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
-
One man, wearing a faded Scott Kingery shirt, admired the view from behind home plate on the club level.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
-
In 1975, Elvis was a faded star in Vegas and Robert Johnson was just another obscure dead bluesman.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
But those conditions are vague, and largely left to interpretation, Chris Mirasola, a professor of law at The University of Houston Law Center, tells TIME.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Fans reportedly emptied out of the stadium before halftime, and after the final whistle, the 73-year-old former NFL coach was left making vague promises that his team would somehow turn the corner.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The photo was too sun-bleached to discern much else, but there was an e-mail address and a WhatsApp number to contact if anyone found her.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
-
If possible, hang-drying towels in the sun can help naturally bleach and brighten them, thanks to the sun’s UV rays.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The 100% cotton material is available in various colors, from light denim washes to black, and the jeans come in sizes SM-XXXL.—
Laura Lu,
Parents,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Guests are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy complimentary beer provided by Fossil Cove Brewery, wine, soft drinks and light snacks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Amid the hangover of the 0-4 start, students shuffled out their dorms, lured by free food and faint promise of school spirit at the Rose Bowl.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Visitors report hearing faint voices and screams when inside the room.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As anger fades into apathy and grief is aggravated by guilt, the public also chooses silence.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
-
While pie crust seems to be fading away, some chefs would rather think completely outside the box by creating a completely different crust.—
Amber Love Bond,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Kirk followed Guerrero the next inning, slamming the first of his two homers over the outfield wall.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pale. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share