Skip to main content
white

white

43 1.0
Hair or skin that is very pale, often from age
  • adjective
  • /waɪt/
: pálido (piel)
  • His face was small and white, and he had tight lips.
  • face was white
  • white hair
  • white-haired

His face was small and white, and he had tight lips.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Her skin was smooth and white as paper, and her eyes were pale blue.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And when Pence heard that, he stayed white as a ghost.

  • So this is his white skin, as you can see here.

  • What he saw turned his hair white from shock.

  • His cheeks were windburned, and around his eyes were white patches where his sunglasses protected him.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Bernadette's hair, short and curly, entirely white now, flies wildly around her head.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • His hair turned white after years of hard work and stress.

  • She had a white complexion that contrasted with her dark hair.

  • The elderly man walked with a white cane, indicating his age and frailty.

Synonyms

white-haired
vswhite
13 1.7

A person who has hair that is white, usually because they are old

applies to skin as well as hair and not hair only
ashen
vswhite
7 5.1

Pale gray in color because of shock or illness

is paler and grayer because it often shows illness or strong feeling
lily-white
vswhite
4 4.9

A pure bright white color like fresh paint

is about pale hair or skin often from age shock rather than purity
whitish
vswhite
4 1.6

Light in color, slightly pale like milk

is a stronger or complete paleness often caused by age shock or emotion
bloodless
vswhite
2 5.9

Being very pale and weak from illness or shock

also applies to hair paleness and aging not only drained skin
creamy-white
vswhite
2 2.7

A pale yellow-white color like fresh cream

is paler because of age shock or emotion rather than a warm creamy tint
milk-white
vswhite
1 3.7

A white color like fresh milk

focuses on pure creamy color not on causes like age or emotion
yellow-white
vswhite
1 2.5

A pale white color with a little yellow

emphasizes paleness from age shock or emotion rather than a yellow tint
gray-white
vswhite
  • US
1 2.8

A white color with a little grey in it

is usually paler and caused by age shock or emotion rather than tone
gray-headed
vswhite
  • US
1 4.4

Having mostly white hair because a person is older

focuses on both hair and skin paleness rather than hair only
blanched
vswhite
1 6.8

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

includes hair paleness and aging causes as well as sudden shock
creamy-colored
vswhite
1 1.9

Pale yellowish white like fresh cream

focuses on paleness from age shock or emotion rather than warm tone
greenish-white
vswhite
1 2.5

A very pale white color with a small green tint

is paler due to aging shock or emotion rather than carrying a greenish tint
yellowish-white
vswhite
1 2.3

White with a slight yellow tint

is paler because of age shock or emotion rather than showing a yellow tinge
off-white
vswhite
1 3.0

A pale color close to white with a slight hint of another color

describes actual paleness often from age shock or emotion not a slight tint
dull-white
vswhite
1 4.2

A white color that is not bright or shiny

is paler due to age shock or emotion rather than merely lacking shine
livid
vswhite
1 6.5

Face and lips very pale from shock or illness

is more general meaning pale or very pale including age causes as well

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

With little or no light and not bright

Idioms

Something written so the meaning is clear and certain

4 4.0

To stop trying and accept that you lost

1 5.0

Very pale from fear, shock, or illness

9.3

To try to reach a very difficult or impossible goal for a long time

People say it when something seems typical of white people and shows white privilege

Compounds

White House
  • Literature
∞ 2.7

The people who work for the US president and make government decisions

814 1.9

The government building in Washington, D.C. where the US president lives and works

358 1.6

A man with light skin, often from Europe

333 2.9

People with light skin, often from Europe, who many see as a racial group

122 1.0

A woman who has light skin and usually comes from Europe

119 2.5

An image, film, or pattern that uses only black, white and gray

An image that shows only shades of black, white and gray, not color

Seeing things as only good or bad, with no middle

59 4.0

Describing people who work in offices and do professional or management jobs

white supremacist
  • Offensive
53 8.8

A person who thinks white people are better than other races and should control society

50 1.0

An alcoholic pale yellow drink made from grapes

40 9.9

An insulting word for poor white people, especially in the southern United States

33 1.0

The clear liquid around an egg yolk that turns white and solid when cooked

31 3.3

A blood cell that eats and kills germs to protect the body

26 2.7

A plain white cloth that people raise to show surrender or ask for a truce

25 3.8

Light that contains all the colors you can see

white lie
  • Informal
22 3.4

A small untrue statement people tell to avoid hurting someone's feelings

22 3.9

A very large powerful shark with sharp teeth that sometimes attacks people

white blood cell
  • Specialized
21 2.5

A cell in the blood that helps the body fight infections

20 5.3

A group of people with light skin, often from Europe

white supremacy
  • Offensive
19 9.0

The belief that white people are better than people of other races and should control society

white noise
  • Specialized
19 3.9

A steady sound made of all tones that hides other sounds and helps people sleep

18 1.5

Pale meat from the breast of birds like chicken or turkey

15 3.2

An idea of a comfortable, safe family life in a house near a city

A very large sea fish with a white belly that sometimes attacks people

14 1.0

A soft, light bread made from white wheat flour

A sweet pale candy made from cocoa butter, milk, and sugar

white paper
  • Formal
12 5.6

An official report that explains plans or how something works

11 5.8

Very strong feeling or energy that shows great passion and draws attention

11 3.0

Close to white with a slight hint of another color

10 1.0

A soft white grain with its outer parts removed

9 3.4

A large oak tree with pale wood and acorns that ripen in one year

9 4.0

A very light, shiny white color like a pearl

8 3.2

Fast, rough parts of a river full of bubbles that look white

8 1.6

A white stripe painted on a road to mark traffic lanes

white matter
  • Specialized
7 5.0

Tissue in the brain and spinal cord that carries messages between different brain areas

7 5.3

Heated until it glows white

6 6.5

A small whale like the beluga that is white as an adult and lives in very cold northern waters

6 9.9

A very offensive racial insult for a white person that compares them to Black people

6 1.7

A sauce made from milk thickened with butter and flour

Leather that is pale or white after a special treatment

white dwarf
  • Specialized
5 7.5

A small, very dense star that remains after a star uses its fuel and glows with leftover heat

white hope
  • Archaic
5 7.7

A person or thing likely to bring success in a field

4 4.1

A pale, silver-coloured metal that people make by mixing gold with other metals for jewellery

4 3.0

A deer with white fur under its tail

4 3.4

A smooth, shiny cloth in pure white used for elegant clothes or decorations

4 8.1

Like the white middle class and often boring or conventional

4 3.4

White with a light blue tint

4 8.4

A person expected to bring success where others failed

A drink of vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream served over ice

3 9.9

An offensive name for poor white people in the southern United States

3 2.4

A light-colored spice that comes from ripe peppercorns with their skins removed and has a milder taste than black pepper

3 8.1

A white man, often middle-aged or older, who feels very upset and bitter about social change

A North American deer with a white underside to its tail that it raises when scared

white elephant
  • Informal
3 6.1

An expensive thing that costs a lot to keep and is more trouble than it is worth

white separatist
  • Offensive
3 9.3

A person who wants white people to live apart from people of other races

A part of Broadway in New York City with bright lights and many theaters

white pages
  • Archaic
2 2.7

A printed list of people's names and home phone numbers in alphabetical order

white hat
  • Jargon
2 5.3

A person who uses computer skills to find and fix security problems

2 2.7

A pale yellow-white color like fresh cream

2 9.9

A woman forced to sell sex after being taken or sold

white man's burden
  • Offensive
2 9.9

The idea that white people must rule and civilize non-white people

white tie
  • Formal
2 7.0

A very formal men's evening dress code requiring a white bow tie and tailcoat

2 1.0

A common root vegetable with pale skin and white flesh used for cooking

2 9.7

A company or law firm connected to rich, conservative people from old families

2 5.1

Magic used to help or heal people

white room
  • Specialized
2 6.1

A very clean room that is free of dust and germs for lab work

2 7.8

Very high temperature that makes metal glow white

2 6.3

A North American tree with pale green or silvery leaf undersides and hard brown wood used for furniture

A white person with British family background who follows Protestant Christianity and is often from a socially important group

1 3.5

A plant with large white flowers that often grows in water

1 4.2

A large wolf that lives in Arctic North America and has white fur

1 4.9

A tree with pale bark and thin hanging branches often found in Europe

How Pale

white
43 1.0
ashen
7 5.1
to wan
  • Archaic
1 8.6
pale
301 1.0

Surface Forms

white positive

Etymology

White for hair or very pale skin comes from the same old root hwīt meaning 'light' or 'bright'. That's why we use white to show someone has very light or pale hair or skin.