pall 1 of 2

1
as in coffin
a boxlike container for holding a dead body bearing her husband's pall were her four brothers and two nephews

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in cloud
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom a persistent pall of distrust has overtaken this administration and will remain until the president resigns

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

pall

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pall different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of pall are cloy, glut, gorge, sate, satiate, and surfeit. While all these words mean "to fill to repletion," pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

When is it sensible to use cloy instead of pall?

While the synonyms cloy and pall are close in meaning, cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

When might glut be a better fit than pall?

Although the words glut and pall have much in common, glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

When is gorge a more appropriate choice than pall?

While in some cases nearly identical to pall, gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

How are the words satiate and sate related as synonyms of pall?

Both satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel
readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

In what contexts can surfeit take the place of pall?

The meanings of surfeit and pall largely overlap; however, surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

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 pall
Noun
Stocks sold off Friday after President Donald Trump’s latest tariff announcements, along with a weak jobs report, cast a pall over the U.S. economic outlook. Sarah Min, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2025 At a certain point in the summer, the thought of getting dressed up to go out for dinner begins to cast a pall over the entire day. Air Mail, 26 July 2025
Verb
But three weeks into their stay — Spain arrived in New Zealand well in advance of its first game, hoping to draw the sting from the jet lag — the place had started to pall. Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023 But after a time, the combination of abrasive, impenetrably shellacked characters and deliberately, hopelessly tangled shaggy-dog storytelling begins to pall, and viewers may wish for a simpler way in. Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for pall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pall
Noun
  • The final nail in the coffin was hammered by Carroll, who sent a first-pitch 84 mph curveball from Slaten 375 feet to right field for a three-run homer.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The coffin will then be taken by hearse to the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore in Windsor.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Pleasant with sunshine and some clouds.
    Caroline Ritzie, Cincinnati Enquirer, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The Manga pastry at Cannelle, for example, is shaped like a mango and a bite into its firm white chocolate shell reveals an airy, semi-sweet cloud of mousse and a tart mango compote.
    Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Dockery wore a ​​white satin dress by Emilia Wickstead and a tulle veil for their nuptials, while Waller-Bridge opted for a navy blue suit.
    Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Complications ensue and, hidden by a big veil, Ziva steps in as the pretend bride to keep the trap alive.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • By 2008, Americans were withdrawing, and combat deaths were subsiding to their lowest level since the start of the occupation.
    Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
  • These double peaks occur when solar activity spikes, subsides, and then returns a few years later.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • His anguished mother insisted on an open-casket ceremony to show the world the gruesome cruelty of lynching.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • This reversal deeply disrespects every honorable soldier who's had our Stars and Stripes draped over their casket as Taps play in the background.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Moraes developed computer models to simulate draping a sheet on both a 3D human form and a bas-relief carving to test which version most closely matched the figure preserved in the shroud.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Next, unwrap your headless body from its shroud.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • As Elizabeth Hardwick and others have contended over the years, criticism has too often diminished as a form of argument and rigorous engagement.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Acutis' tomb in Assisi—his body displayed in a wax replica and dressed in casual clothes and sneakers—has become a major pilgrimage site, and relics associated with him have toured internationally.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
  • His tomb is livestreamed 24/7 via a webcam.
    Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pall. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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