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

Relevance
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
President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs on several trade partners have also raised fears of a recession, casting a pall on consumer sentiment in the United States. Juveria Tabassum, USA Today, 8 Apr. 2025 Washington has cast a pall on business investment and consumption demand, which could tip the softening US economy into a recession—and drag the rest of the world economy down with it. Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
If there was no Venice, does that mean that the overall attraction of an Adriatic cruise would pall? Julia Buckley, CNN, 8 May 2021 Reduced to highlights and stripped of distinction, Percy’s adventures with Furies, oracles, Medusa, Ares and Hades quickly pall. Jesse Green, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2019 See All Example Sentences for pall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pall
Noun
  • New research on the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak puts another nail in the lab leak theory’s coffin.
    Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 May 2025
  • At the center lay Francis’ body, now in a closed coffin, the pages of a book of the Gospels stirring in the breeze atop it.
    Alan Yuhas, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The Juneteenth show in Texas was the culmination of an unlikely rise, literally to the clouds, for a Black woman whose courage still astounds a century later.
    Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
  • Pull out your credit card to shop our favorite finds like the stylish outdoor lounge chair to relax poolside as the sun peeks from behind the clouds.
    Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 13 May 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the rich pigments easily veil dark circles, pigmentation, and blemishes with just a tiny dot of product.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 12 May 2025
  • The deals were done secretly under a veil of nondisclosure agreements and an LLC called Golden Range, according to property records.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • That fear subsided after the war became bogged down in Ukraine’s east.
    Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
  • Lisa Wins, But Sincerity Takes the Crown When the eyeliner dries and the laughter subsides, Lisa Gilroy emerges as the episode’s victor.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 5 May 2025
Noun
  • What struck me wasn’t her quiet courage—but the revelation that only men are permitted in the outer circle surrounding the Pope’s casket.
    Angela S. Mattie, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2025
  • His office was filled with the artifacts that people left behind in their cars: a high school diploma, a Little League uniform, an American flag that had been draped over a casket at a military funeral.
    Eli Saslow, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Noun
  • Located atop the power-supply shroud, a second set of fan-mounting holes is threaded to accept included #6-32 screws from the top.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 1 May 2025
  • See treasures Iron brooches that would have been used to secure shrouds or clothing were found placed around the chest or wrist in some graves, researchers said.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2025
  • For households, purchasing power diminishes as prices outpace wage growth.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • Pharaoh's tomb discovered by archaeologists in Egypt Dr. Josef Wegner, Penn Museum curator who is based in Philadelphia, recently uncovered a groundbreaking discovery: an unknown pharaoh's tomb, dating back 3,600 years.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2025
  • Earlier Sunday, Leo celebrated a private Mass near the tomb of St. Peter.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pall. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pall

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!