pale

Having a light colour, or less colour than usual in your face.

• She wore a pale blue dress.
• You look pale today.
• His face went pale when he heard the news.

Similar words: light, pallid

Opposites: dark

Common phrases: pale blue, pale skin, look pale

Much weaker or less impressive than the original or than before.

• The sequel is a pale imitation of the original.
• He is a pale shadow of his former self.
• Their celebrations were a pale reflection of past festivals.

Similar words: feeble, weak, faint

Opposites: strong

Common phrases: pale shadow, pale imitation, pale reflection

To seem less important or impressive when compared with something else.

• Our problems pale in comparison with theirs.
• His earlier achievements paled beside this victory.
• These costs pale into insignificance against the potential losses.

How to use it: pale in comparison with/to something (My worries pale in comparison with yours.); pale beside something (Their offer pales beside the one we received yesterday.)

Similar words: diminish

Common phrases: pale in comparison, pale into insignificance, pale beside something

To lose colour, especially in your face because of fear or shock.

• She paled at the news.
• His face paled when the police arrived.
• He began to pale with fear.

How to use it: pale at something (He paled at the sight of the blood.)

Similar words: blanch

Common phrases: pale with fear, pale at something

To surround an area with wooden posts or a fence.

• They paled the field with wooden stakes.
• The owner ordered workers to pale the garden.
• A strip of land had been paled against wandering cattle.

Similar words: fence, enclose

Common phrases: pale a field, pale a garden

A narrow wooden post used as part of a fence.

• One wooden pale had broken.
• They replaced the rotten pales along the fence.
• Each pale was fixed to a horizontal rail.

Similar words: picket, stake

Common phrases: wooden pale, fence pale, pointed pale