pallor

American  

[pal-er] / ˈpæl ər /

noun

1. unusual or extreme paleness, as from fear, ill health, or death; wanness.

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pallor British  

/ ˈpælə /

noun

1. a pale condition, esp when unnatural

   fear gave his face a deathly pallor

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Etymology

Origin of pallor

1650–60; < Latin: paleness, equivalent to pall ( ēre ) to be pale + -or -or ¹

Example Sentences

If you know anything about Burton’s movies, you know that they tend to feature characters who embody all the qualities of a sickly Victorian-era child: waifish, sunken doe-eye and gaunt faces with a deathlike pallor.

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2024

“Remedio had the opportunity to watch and see, would the pallor disappear? Could the course reverse?”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2024

A key problem is the lighting - a single overhead source, which gives the images a slightly garish sheen and each person's skin an unhealthy pallor.

From BBC • Aug. 24, 2023

Here, too, the mood couldn’t have been more different from the year prior, when the slap cast a pallor on the celebration.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2023

He was as ragged as a rock star, but his missing teeth and the unhealthy pallor of his skin spoke eloquently of a life of privation and despair.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy