wan

Everyday

1. Wan means pale and looking ill or tired. tree →
2. A wan smile is a weak, tired or sad smile. tree →
3. (old, poetic) Wan light is faint and weak. tree →
4. (Mandarin, pinyin) wǎn can mean evening or late, and wàn means ten thousand; these are not English words. tree →

In the lessons

In stories it shows a character is unwell, worried or exhausted. Phrases: a wan face, a wan smile, look wan.

Examples

• She looked wan after a week with flu. tree →
• He gave a wan smile and said he was fine. tree →
• The wan winter sun barely warmed the garden. tree →
• Your face is so wan — sit down and have some water. tree →
• The patient's cheeks were wan and thin. tree →
• In Mandarin, "wǎn shàng hǎo" means good evening. tree →

Note

Literary word; everyday words are pale, pasty. Rhymes with "con". Do not confuse with want or won.