pale

noun
\ ˈpāl How to pronounce pale (audio) \

Definition of pale

 (Entry 1 of 5)

1 archaic : palisade, paling
2a : one of the stakes of a palisade
3a : a space or field having bounds : enclosure The cattle were led into the pale.
b : a territory or district within certain bounds or under a particular jurisdiction British culture survived even within the Roman pale.
4 : an area or the limits within which one is privileged or protected (as from censure) conduct that was beyond the pale
5 : a perpendicular stripe on a heraldic shield

pale

verb (1)
paled; paling

Definition of pale (Entry 2 of 5)

transitive verb

: to enclose with pales : fence

pale

adjective
paler; palest

Definition of pale (Entry 3 of 5)

1a : deficient in color or intensity of color : pallid a pale complexion
b(1) : having color of reduced saturation — see saturation sense 4a a pale pink
(2) : light in color especially relative to others of its kind pale beers
2 : not bright or brilliant : dim a pale sun shining through the fog
3 : feeble, faint a pale imitation

pale

verb (2)
paled; paling

Definition of pale (Entry 4 of 5)

intransitive verb

: to become pale

transitive verb

: to make pale
variants: or paleo-

Definition of pale- (Entry 5 of 5)

1 : involving or dealing with ancient forms or conditions paleobotany
2 : early : primitive : archaic Paleolithic

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Other Words from pale

Adjective

palely \ ˈpāl-​lē How to pronounce palely (audio) \ adverb
paleness \ ˈpāl-​nəs How to pronounce paleness (audio) \ noun
palish \ ˈpā-​lish How to pronounce palish (audio) \ adjective

Synonyms & Antonyms for pale

Synonyms: Adjective

dull, dulled, faded, light, pastel, washed-out, washy

Antonyms: Adjective

dark, deep, gay, rich

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Examples of pale in a Sentence

Adjective

the pale wood of the table The walls were painted a pale blue. She has a pale complexion. Her illness had left her pale and weak. She grew pale with fright. Are you feeling well? You look pale. the pale light of dawn
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Crowds gathered atop the Smith Avenue High Bridge to watch fireworks from the Taste of Minnesota festival exploding over the pale, improbable dome of the state Capitol. Larry Millett, Twin Cities, "From the archives: Murder-on-a-stick: A Pioneer Press serial mystery novel (Chapter 1)," 21 Aug. 2019 Mr Johnson started naming his new ministers, aiming to move away from the pale, male and stale image of previous cabinets. The Economist, "Politics this week," 25 July 2019 New York-style Served in a bun, topped with steamed onions and a pale, deli-style yellow mustard. Sue Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Detroiters ate an awful lot of hot dogs last year. Here are the numbers," 2 July 2019 To mark the occasion of the Queen's annual birthday parade, Kate chose a pale yellow coat dress, reportedly by Alexander McQueen, and a matching yellow hat. Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, "Kate Middleton Was Easy to Spot in a Striking Yellow Hat for 2019's Trooping the Colour," 8 June 2019 Maisie’s custom pale pink Coach dress literally sparkled with vintage crystal and sequin beading in floral motifs. Teen Vogue, "Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner Attend "Game of Thrones" Belfast Premiere," 13 Apr. 2019 But raising money for a billionaire president who embraces bigotry and white nationalism is beyond the pale -- especially for the city with the largest Latino population in the nation. Los Angeles Times, "Equinox developer targeted by anti-Trump protesters is big player in downtown L.A.," 12 Aug. 2019 Filmmaker Laura Poitras’ Oscar-winning documentary Citizenfour centers on the pale, calm face of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden holed up in a plain Hong Kong hotel room. Tom Simonite, WIRED, "Using AI, and Film, to Track Tear Gas Use Against Civilians," 25 July 2019 Ilhan Omar’s recent left-wing rant is beyond the pale. Letter Writers, Twin Cities, "Letters: Ilhan Omar’s obvious dislike for this country," 25 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Hefty raises can pale in comparison with the potential downside. Anders Melinbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Cybersecurity pros name their price as data hacking attacks swell," 7 Aug. 2019 Yet that settlement may pale in size compared to potential payouts in New York, New Jersey and 15 other states around the country that have passed, or are considering, what are called Child Victims Acts (CVAs). Ed Leefeldt, CBS News, "New laws open door to decades-old child sex abuse cases," 6 Aug. 2019 Yet Mixer's viewership numbers continue to pale compared to Twitch's. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Ninja’ed: Microsoft swipes top game-streamer from Amazon’s Twitch," 1 Aug. 2019 But all these races will pale in comparison in 2020 to the race for Ohio's 1st Congressional District, especially if the U.S. Supreme Court finds the district boundaries unconstitutional.