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waxen

adjective

Definition of waxennext
as in sallow

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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 waxen Instead, the moss’s telltale sign of woe is its glum, grayish hue, a waxen appearance that comes from ferns and algae that have crept over it. — Sabrina Imbler, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waxen
  1. sallow
  2. waxy
  3. pallid
  4. ashen
  5. sickly
  6. pale
  7. cadaverous
  8. ashy
Adjective
  • The zombie – slow moving, with sallow complexion, hollow eyes, rotting teeth and a hunger for human flesh – has been lumbering through Hollywood movies for decades now.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The women looked terrible—bruised and sallow—and smelled even worse.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of sallow
Adjective
  • Our clues to the density of forest canopies millions of years ago came from microscopic plant cuticles – the thin, waxy outer skin of leaves that can survive for millions of years in organic-rich sediments.
    — Regan E. Dunn, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But hot temps can turn them into a waxy mess before your eyes.
    — Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2026
Definition of waxy
Adjective
  • The pallid grayness of Mike Eley’s cinematography is probably supposed to mimic the finality of HIV/AIDS taking hold, but there’s no passion aesthetically to counterbalance what becomes absolute misery onscreen to watch.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Young people in particular have soured on the technology over the last year, a development that may at least partially be explained by a pallid entry-level job market.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pallid
Adjective
  • Then Keegan asked Shankly for £50 a week and caught a glimpse of Ashman looking, well, ashen.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • If untreated, the condition causes severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, skin rashes, weak pulse and ashen or bluish skin.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of ashen
Adjective
  • In particular, the image of the sickly, slumbering child recurs throughout Marcon’s work.
    — Matthew McLean, Artforum, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Eleanor, now sickly and desperate, clings to her husband completely unaware of his plans to leave her.
    — Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sickly
Adjective
  • Rooms and suites are classically decorated, with cream linens, tan-colored leather headboards, and pale hardwood floors.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The same pale pink plaid print that appeared in Collina Strada’s fall 2026 show resurfaced in its Garden Pop rug and Plaid Garden sofa.
    — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of pale
Adjective
  • Die große Nacht im Eimer (The Big Night Down the Drain), made that year, depicts a figure of indiscernible age with a cadaverous pallor and yellow splotches, brandishing an oversized phallus beneath a soot-black veil.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • As the hulking creature, the Australian star appears to have pale, cadaverous skin with lacerations across it and long, stringy hair.
    — Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Definition of cadaverous
Adjective
  • The most powerful visual effect is the ashy remains of the playground victims, still intact—until a shock wave scatters the ashes to the wind.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Beneath their feet, patches of soil were cinder grey and ashy, clinging to their gloves and boots like the worst kind of glitter.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of ashy

Browse Nearby Words

waxed
waxen
waxes
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Cite this Entry

“Waxen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waxen. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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