paleness

Everyday

1. The state of being pale: having a light colour or less colour than usual. tree →
2. Lightness of a person's face when they are ill, tired or frightened. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, a character's paleness shows fear, shock or illness. In health, paleness of the skin can be a sign of being unwell, cold or low on iron. In art, paleness means a light, soft colour.

Examples

• Her paleness worried the school nurse. tree →
• The paleness of the sky meant snow was coming. tree →
• He noticed the paleness of the ghostly figure. tree →
• After the flu, his paleness lasted a week. tree →
• The paleness of the wall made the room feel cool. tree →
• Fear showed in the sudden paleness of her face. tree →

Note

Uncountable noun. From "pale" (adjective: pale, paler, palest). Similar: pallor, which is more formal and used mostly for faces. Do not confuse "pale" with "pail" (a bucket).

In Jewish tradition

Jeremiah shows people with faces turned pale from fear, like a woman in labor, on the day of trouble.

Interpretation. Tradition reads it as a picture of the terror of a day of judgment before the final salvation.

Examples

• Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child; wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? (Prophets JER.30.6, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Uncountable noun. From "pale" (adjective: pale, paler, palest). Similar: pallor, which is more formal and used mostly for faces. Do not confuse "pale" with "pail" (a bucket).