as in pallid
lacking a healthy skin color
she looks a little wan after all that tiring work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 wan
Evans managed both to placate the money men at Gulf & Western, who wanted to sell Paramount because of its wan revenue, and become a peer of Hollywood's rambunctious talent.
—
cleveland, 28 Oct. 2019
Our family just discovered Gobi Manchurian, and for anyone who considers cauliflower a wan version of broccoli, try this and banish thoughts of soggy vegetables from your mind.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
The beautiful young actress turns into a wan woman in a bandana and mismatched clothes.
—Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2019
In spite of the lovingly detailed suburban ambience, interiors, gardens and clothes, the atmosphere feels torqued beyond time and history into a fairy tale theater of desire and wan hope.
—Marina Warner, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for wan
cleveland, 28 Oct. 2019
Our family just discovered Gobi Manchurian, and for anyone who considers cauliflower a wan version of broccoli, try this and banish thoughts of soggy vegetables from your mind.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 Mar. 2018
The beautiful young actress turns into a wan woman in a bandana and mismatched clothes.
—Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2019
In spite of the lovingly detailed suburban ambience, interiors, gardens and clothes, the atmosphere feels torqued beyond time and history into a fairy tale theater of desire and wan hope.
—Marina Warner, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for wan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wan
Adjective
-
The paintings are brushy and pallid, seemingly hinting at a dissatisfaction with commodified products such as these.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Folk-rock and psychedelia would make Peter, Paul and Mary sound pallid and precious, although nostalgia sustained them through a later reunion career.—
Jon Pareles,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Gachot fills them with springtime blooms like garden tulips, cherry blossoms, poppies, daffodils, and pale pink ranunculus.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
-
The moisturizer itself is a creamy, dreamy texture with a pale pink color and subtle rose scent.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wan. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share