😨 To turn pale 🌙 Faint and pale 😷 Pale and weak

wan

7.3

Pale and weak light that is not bright

adjective
/wɑn/

: tenue

The wan glow of dawn barely illuminated the empty street.

Examples

A wan moon hung silently above the misty fields.
Through the dusty curtains, only a wan beam of sunlight entered the room.
The light in the room was wan and dim.
The wan glow of the candle barely lit the room.
The wan light made the room feel eerie and lifeless.
After weeks without sunshine, the plants appeared weak and wan.
Her wan complexion suggested that she had been unwell for some time.

Synonyms

pale

vswan

291 1.0

Has very light color and often looks sick or afraid

stresses weak brightness and general lack of intensity

light

vswan

90 1.0

Pale in colour or clear in sound

focuses on weak color and low intensity rather than bright clarity

fainter

vswan

9 3.6

Less bright, loud, or strong than something else

expresses weak color and low brightness rather than a comparative state

washed-out

vswan

4 4.4

A color or object that has lost brightness and looks pale

describes original weak color rather than a faded change

pallid

vswan

1 7.0

A weak light that is not bright

emphasizes weak color as well as low brightness

dull-white

vswan

4.2

A white color that is not bright or shiny

applies more generally to weak color and low brightness not only white tones

Antonyms

bright

235 1.0

Having a strong, vivid color that is easy to notice

vivid

23 3.0

Very bright and clear in color and easy to notice

intense

16 3.4

A strong bright color that looks vivid

Compounds

wan expression

8.7

A pale, weak look on a person's face that shows illness or feeling tired

How Pale

colorless

12 2.9

washed-out

4 4.4

wan

7.3

pale

291 1.0

Surface Forms

wan positive

Etymology

Wan was also used for weak light, from the same old English wann meaning 'pale', so think of a 'wan' moon that gives only a little light. That's why a wan colour or glow feels faint and not bright.