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 women looked terrible—bruised and sallow—and smelled even worse.
    — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The colors are really sallow and kind of ugly.
    — Marah Eakin, Vulture, 14 May 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
  • 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
  • This mordant melange takes off from the opening sequence, when Niaz finds himself at a casting call for an indie directed by Aza (Elene Mausuradze), an androgynous female director with the pallid look of a Tim Burton extra.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 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
  • Seeing her daughter in that state, babbling nonsense and barely able to stand, Letizia had goggled with the watery eyes of a sickly old lady.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The woman’s body, painted in blazing magenta, is wrapped around a man rendered in sickly olive green, her head disappearing into his chest.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of sickly
Adjective
  • But our frustrations and inconvenience pale in comparison to the sadness of those who knew the deceased or to the trauma the drivers involved experienced.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Iconic yachting brand Riva was the inspiration behind the redesign, according to Christie, seen in the use of dark wood, pale leather and marble that gives the lounge a distinctly Italian feel.
    — Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 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
  • When smoke lingers over a grape in that state, the volatile phenols will bind with the sugars in the grape skins, giving the fruit a smoky, sanguine, ashy taste.
    — Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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