pallid

adjective

pal·​lid ˈpa-ləd How to pronounce pallid (audio)
Synonyms of pallidnext
1
: deficient in color : wan
a pallid countenance
2
: lacking sparkle or liveliness : dull
a pallid entertainment
The movie is a pallid version of the classic novel.
pallidly adverb
pallidness noun

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of pallid in a Sentence

The movie is a pallid version of the classic novel. a pallid man who looked as though he'd never seen the sun
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Smith’s skin took on a new color, one more pallid with a blue, purple undertone. — Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 22 May 2025 Robert Vaughn is a particularly pallid villain, and the movie’s case against computers, uh, hasn’t aged too well. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025 Rickman’s Snape was almost cartoonish with his hawk nose and long, straight black hair and pallid skin. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 Similar prompts yielded images of a skull with glowing eyes hovering above an ornate cross, and another pallid, blank-eyed woman — this one hooded, with a halo of fire, crying blood. — Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for pallid

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin pallidus "pale, colorless" — more at pale entry 1

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pallid was in 1590

Rhymes for pallid

See All Rhymes for pallid

Browse Nearby Words

palliatory
pallid
pallida Mors
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pallid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pallid. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

pallid

adjective
pal·​lid ˈpal-əd How to pronounce pallid (audio)
: lacking healthy color : pale
pallidly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on pallid

Nglish: Translation of pallid for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Hypercorrections: Are you making these 6 common mistakes?

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

12 Words Whose History Will Surprise You

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
retro style illustration of a tv with shapes and lightening bolts coming from the screen
Pop Culture Vocab Quiz “Embiggen,” “regift,” “friend zone” a...
See All