😨 Pale and gray 🌳 Like ash wood

ashen

5 5.1

Pale gray in color because of shock or illness

adjective
/ˈæʃən/

: pálido

Webster and Santini saw her complexion fade to an ashen pallor and rushed to her.
ashen face
ashen skin
looked ashen

And then I saw the dude behind him that he was apparently riding with, yeah, turn ashen grey when he saw that man reach out and hit me on the side of the throat.

Examples

His skin has grown ashen as his life's blood has been bled away.

Fiction book (1998)
His face is ashen, mouth open, his dull eyes looking out in a fixed stare.

Fiction book (1993)
The Shadow reached out to him with ashen hands.

Inkheart (2008)
The doctors looked ashen as they began to carry her out of the house.

Fiction book (1995)
You looked ashen and miserable.

People I Know (2002)
We go from face to ashen face, as each man and woman watches and waits.

Fiction book (1995)
His face looked ashen, haunted, but his past had etched expression back into it.

Fiction book (1993)
Hector is shaken by the sight of her, ashen and fevered, but tries not to show it.

Fiction book (1993)
No wonder he had become thin and reedy, with sunken cheeks and an ashen complexion.

Academic text (2000)
After running a marathon, her face was ashen and she looked faint.

Synonyms

white

vsashen

412 1.0

Hair or skin that is very pale, often from age

is the specific pale gray shade tied to illness or emotion

grayish

vsashen

8 1.1

Slightly like the color of old hair or a cloudy sky

is a stronger gray paleness often from illness or emotion

ashy

vsashen

4 4.1

Pale gray like ashes

is usually linked to illness, shock, or strong emotion

bloodless

vsashen

3 5.9

Being very pale and weak from illness or shock

focuses on gray paleness rather than loss of blood color

pale-faced

vsashen

1 4.9

A person with a very pale face because of illness or fear

is about whole-body gray paleness rather than only the face

livid

vsashen

1 6.5

Face and lips very pale from shock or illness

is the more general gray paleness, not necessarily extreme

as white as a ghost

vsashen

Informal

1 5.0

Very pale from fear, shock, or illness

is a milder grayish paleness, not necessarily extreme white

grayish-white

vsashen

1 2.6

A pale white color with a little gray

is focused on gray tone caused by shock or illness

ash-gray

vsashen

3.8

A light pale gray that looks like soft smoke

is tied more to paleness caused by illness or emotion

blanched

vsashen

6.8

Pale in the face because of fear, shock, or illness

is pale and gray rather than simply whitened by shock

pale-colored

vsashen

2.3

Having a light color that is not bright

is linked to gray paleness often caused by illness or shock

pale-hued

vsashen

5.1

A light color that is not strong

is specific gray paleness usually tied to strong emotion or illness

Antonyms

healthy

695 1.0

In good body and mind condition without sickness or injury

vibrant

29 3.6

Full of bright, strong colors that attract attention

How Pale

ashen

5 5.1

wan

7.4

pallid

3 7.5

pale

291 1.0

Surface Forms

ashen positive

Morphology

ashen = ash (semi-transparent) = ash + en

Although formed from 'ash' + '-en', the meaning 'pale, gray' is a metaphorical extension from the colour of ash rather than a literal 'made of ash' meaning.

Etymology

Ashen comes from the word ash, the gray powder left after a fire, so if someone's face is ashen it looks 'pale' or 'gray', as if covered in ash from shock or illness.