pale
(redirected from paler)Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
pale
pallid; light; feeble; weak: The patient looked pale and thin.
Not to be confused with:
pail – a cylindrical vessel with a handle; a bucket: Fetch a pail of water.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
pale 1
(pāl)n.
1. A stake or pointed stick; a picket.
2. A fence enclosing an area.
3. The area enclosed by a fence or boundary.
4.
a. A region or district lying within an imposed boundary or constituting a separate jurisdiction.
b. Pale The medieval dominions of the English in Ireland. Used with the.
5. Heraldry A wide vertical band in the center of an escutcheon.
tr.v. paled, pal·ing, pales
Idiom: To enclose with pales; fence in.
beyond the pale
Irrevocably unacceptable or unreasonable: behavior that was quite beyond the pale.
pale 2
(pāl)adj. pal·er, pal·est
1. Whitish in complexion; pallid.
2.
a. Of a low intensity of color; light.
b. Having high lightness and low saturation.
3. Of a low intensity of light; dim or faint: "a late afternoon sun coming through the el tracks and falling in pale oblongs on the cracked, empty sidewalks" (Jimmy Breslin).
4. Feeble; weak: a pale rendition of the aria.
v. paled, pal·ing, pales
v.tr.
To cause to turn pale.
v.intr.
1. To become pale; blanch: paled with fright.
2. To decrease in relative importance.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin pallidus, from pallēre, to be pale; see pel- in Indo-European roots.]
pale′ly adv.
pale′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pale
(peɪl)adj
1. lacking brightness of colour; whitish: pale morning light.
2. (of a colour) whitish; produced by a relatively small quantity of colouring agent
3. dim or wan: the pale stars.
4. feeble: a pale effort.
5. South African a euphemism for White
vb
6. to make or become pale or paler; blanch
7. (often foll by: before) to lose superiority or importance (in comparison to): her beauty paled before that of her hostess.
[C13: from Old French palle, from Latin pallidus pale, from pallēre to look wan]
ˈpalely adv
ˈpaleness n
pale
(peɪl)n
1. a wooden post or strip used as an upright member in a fence
2. an enclosing barrier, esp a fence made of pales
3. an area enclosed by a pale
4. a sphere of activity within which certain restrictions are applied
5. (Heraldry) heraldry an ordinary consisting of a vertical stripe, usually in the centre of a shield
6. beyond the pale outside the limits of social convention
vb
(tr) to enclose with pales
[C14: from Old French pal, from Latin pālus stake; compare pole1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pale1
(peɪl)adj. pal•er, pal•est, adj.
1. lacking intensity of color; colorless or whitish: a pale complexion.
2. of a low degree of chroma, saturation, or purity; approaching white or gray: pale yellow.
3. not bright or brilliant; dim: the pale moon.
4. faint or feeble; weak: a pale protest.
v.i., v.t. 5. to make or become pale: to pale at the sight of blood.
[1250–1300; Middle English < Middle French < Latin pallidus pallid]
pale′ly, adv.
pale′ness, n.
pale2
(peɪl)n., v. paled, pal•ing. n.
1. a stake or picket, as of a fence.
2. an enclosing or confining barrier; enclosure.
3. an enclosed area.
4. limits; bounds: outside the pale of my jurisdiction.
5. a district or region within designated bounds.
6. a central vertical stripe in a heraldic escutcheon.
v.t. 7. to enclose with pales; fence.
8. to encircle or encompass.
Idioms: beyond the pale, beyond the limits of propriety, courtesy, etc.
[1300–50; Middle English (north), Old English pāl < Latin pālus stake]
pale-
var. of paleo- before vowels: palearctic.
Also, esp. Brit.,palae-.Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
pale
Past participle: paled
Gerund: paling
| Imperative |
|---|
| pale |
| pale |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | pale - a wooden strip forming part of a fence paling, picket fence - a fence made of upright pickets strip - thin piece of wood or metal |
| Verb | 1. |  pale - turn pale, as if in fear |
| Adj. | 1. | pale - very light colored; highly diluted with white; "pale seagreen"; "pale blue eyes" light-colored, light - (used of color) having a relatively small amount of coloring agent; "light blue"; "light colors such as pastels"; "a light-colored powder" |
| 2. | pale - (of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble; "the pale light of a half moon"; "a pale sun"; "the late afternoon light coming through the el tracks fell in pale oblongs on the street"; "a pallid sky"; "the pale (or wan) stars"; "the wan light of dawn" weak - wanting in physical strength; "a weak pillar" | |
| 3. | pale - lacking in vitality or interest or effectiveness; "a pale rendition of the aria"; "pale prose with the faint sweetness of lavender"; "a pallid performance" colorless, colourless - lacking in variety and interest; "a colorless and unimaginative person"; "a colorless description of the parade" | |
| 4. | pale - abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress; "the pallid face of the invalid"; "her wan face suddenly flushed" colorless, colourless - weak in color; not colorful | |
| 5. | pale - not full or rich; "high, pale, pure and lovely song" thin - (of sound) lacking resonance or volume; "a thin feeble cry" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
pale
1adjective
3. white, pasty, bleached, washed-out, wan, bloodless, colourless, pallid, anaemic, ashen, sallow, whitish, ashy, like death warmed up (informal) She looked pale and tired.
white glowing, blooming, flushed, ruddy, sanguine, florid, rosy-cheeked, rubicund
white glowing, blooming, flushed, ruddy, sanguine, florid, rosy-cheeked, rubicund
4. poor, weak, inadequate, pathetic, feeble a pale imitation of the real thing
verb
pale
2beyond the pale unacceptable, not done, forbidden, irregular, indecent, unsuitable, improper, barbaric, unspeakable, out of line, unseemly, inadmissible His behaviour was beyond the pale.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
pale
adjective1. Lacking color:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
باهِت اللوْنشَاحِبٌشاحِبيَشْحُب، يَمْتَقِع
pàl·lid
bledýsvětlýzblednout
blegbleg-blegtblive bleg
kalpeakalvakkakalvetakelmeävaalea
blijed
elsápadsápadt
pucat
fölnafölur
薄い
연한
pallidus
bćltiblanktiblankumasblykštiblyškumas
bālsgaišs, bālsnobālētnobālis
pal
zblednúť
bled
bled
blekblekna
ซีดเผือด
tái nhợt
pale
1 [peɪl]A. ADJ (paler (compar) (palest (superl)))
1. [person, face] (naturally) → blanco; (from illness, shock) → pálido
she had pale skin → tenía la piel muy blanca
she looked pale → se la veía pálida
you look very pale → estás muy pálido
she was deathly pale → estaba pálida como la muerte
to go or grow or turn pale [person] → palidecer, ponerse pálido
her face went pale with shock → paledeció or se puso pálida del susto
she had pale skin → tenía la piel muy blanca
she looked pale → se la veía pálida
you look very pale → estás muy pálido
she was deathly pale → estaba pálida como la muerte
to go or grow or turn pale [person] → palidecer, ponerse pálido
her face went pale with shock → paledeció or se puso pálida del susto
B. VI
1. [person] → palidecer, ponerse pálido
his face paled with fear → palideció or se puso pálido de miedo
his face paled with fear → palideció or se puso pálido de miedo
2. (fig) (= seem insignificant) it pales into insignificance beside → se vuelve insignificante en comparación con or al compararse con ...
her beauty paled beside her mother's → su belleza perdía esplendor al lado de la de su madre
her beauty paled beside her mother's → su belleza perdía esplendor al lado de la de su madre
pale
2 [peɪl] N (= stake) → estaca fto be beyond the pale → ser inaceptable
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
pale
[ˈpeɪl] adj
vi
[person] → pâlir
(= seem insignificant) to pale into insignificance beside sth, to pale into insignificance in comparison with sth → sembler bien pâle à côté de qch
Their own suffering paled into insignificance beside that of their son → Leurs propres souffrances semblaient bien pâles à côté de celles de leur fils.
to pale in comparison → sembler bien pâle en comparaison
Their own suffering paled into insignificance beside that of their son → Leurs propres souffrances semblaient bien pâles à côté de celles de leur fils.
to pale in comparison → sembler bien pâle en comparaison
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
pale
:pale ale
n (Brit) → helleres Dunkelbier
paleface
n → Bleichgesicht nt
pale
1adj (+er)
colour, complexion, material → blass; face → blass; (implying unhealthy etc) → bleich, fahl; light → blass, bleich, fahl; she has pale gold hair → sie hat rötlich blondes Haar; pale green/orange etc → blass- or zartgrün/-orange etc; to go or turn pale with fear → vor Schreck bleich or blass werden; but a pale imitation of the real thing → nur ein Abklatsch m → des Originals
(= faint) moon, sun → fahl
vi (person) → erbleichen, blass or bleich werden; (paper etc) → verblassen; to pale with fear → vor Angst erblassen; but X pales beside Y → neben Y verblasst X direkt; to pale into insignificance → zur Bedeutungslosigkeit herabsinken; to pale (into insignificance) beside or alongside something → neben etw (dat) → bedeutungslos sein
pale
2n (= stake) → Pfahl m; those last few remarks were quite beyond the pale → diese letzten Bemerkungen haben eindeutig die Grenzen überschritten; he is now regarded as beyond the pale → man betrachtet ihn jetzt als indiskutabel
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
pale
1 [peɪl]1. adj (-r (comp) (-st (superl))) (gen) → pallido/a; (colour) → chiaro/a, pallido/a
pale blue → azzurro or blu pallido inv
to grow or turn pale → diventare pallido/a, impallidire
pale blue → azzurro or blu pallido inv
to grow or turn pale → diventare pallido/a, impallidire
pale
2 [peɪl] n to be beyond the pale → aver oltrepassato ogni limiteCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
pale
(peil) adjective1. (of a person, his face etc) having less colour than normal. a pale face; She went pale with fear.
2. (of a colour) closer to white than black; not dark. pale green.
verb to become pale. She paled at the bad news.
ˈpaleness nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
pale
→ شَاحِبٌ bledý bleg blass χλωμός pálido kalpea pâle blijed pallido 薄い 연한 bleek blek blady pálido бледный blek ซีดเผือด soluk tái nhợt 苍白的Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
pale
a. pálido-a, descolorido-a.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
pale
adj pálidoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.