Standard Lemma guide

paleness

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • The cold weather intensified the paleness of the landscape.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

being deficient in color

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: pallidity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: color property

3

noun

Meaning 3

the property of having a naturally light complexion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blondness, fairness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: complexion, skin color, skin colour

4

noun

Meaning 4

unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lividness, lividity, luridness, pallidness, pallor, wanness, achromasia

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: complexion, skin color, skin colour

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin pallidus Old French palebor. Middle English pale English pale Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English paleness From pale + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: pal·lidesa — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Czech: bledost — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Danish: bleghed — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Finnish: kalpeus — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • French: pâleur — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • German: Blässe — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • German: Blassheit — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • German: Bleichheit — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • German: Farblosigkeit — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • German: Fahlheit — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Greek: ωχρότητα (ochrótita) — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Ancient Greek: ὠχρότης (ōkhrótēs) — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Hungarian: sápadtság — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Hungarian: halványság — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Hungarian: színtelenség — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Hungarian: fakóság — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Icelandic: fölvi — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Italian: pallore — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Italian: pallidità — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Latin: aurūgō — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Latin: lūror — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Latin: pallor — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Latvian: bālums — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Polabian: bledaićă — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Polish: bladość — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Portuguese: palidez — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Romanian: paliditate — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Romanian: gălbinare — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Russian: бле́дность (blédnostʹ) — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Spanish: palidez — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color
  • Volapük: pael — condition or degree of being pale or of lacking color