ashen
/'æʃn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Pale, grayish, or resembling ashes in color: Describes something that has the color of ashes, typically a pale gray or whitish-gray hue.
- Extremely pale from illness, fear, or strong emotion: Describes a person's complexion that has lost its normal color, becoming very pale or white, often due to shock, fear, or sickness.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The ashen sky before the storm was an ominous sight. (The sky had a pale gray color.)
- Her face turned ashen when she heard the terrible news. (Her face became extremely pale from shock.)
- The ashen remains of the fire were scattered by the wind. (The remains had the gray color of ashes.)
Advanced Usage
- "ashen-faced": Having a very pale face, typically due to shock or illness. (Note: This is a compound adjective listed separately as a variant.)
- The ashen-faced witness could barely speak.
- Literary/Descriptive Use: Often used in literature to vividly describe pallor or a lifeless color.
- He looked at her with ashen eyes, devoid of all hope.
Variants and Related Words
- Ashen-faced (adj): Having a face that is ashen; very pale.
- Ash (n): The powdery residue left after burning, which gives the color.
- Ashy (adj): Covered with or resembling ash; can also describe a similar pale gray color, especially in skin tone.
Synonyms
- Pallid: Unnaturally pale, especially from illness.
- Wan: Pale and giving the impression of illness or exhaustion.
- Livid: Furiously angry; can also mean dark bluish-gray or pale from emotion (archaic/literary usage for paleness).
- Blanched: Made white or pale.
- Bloodless: Lacking blood or color; pale.
Idioms and Fixed Phrases
- (To turn/go/become) ashen: A common phrase describing the sudden change in someone's complexion to a deathly pale color.
- His expression went ashen the moment he opened the letter.
Adjective
- made of wood of the ash tree
- anemic looking from illness or emotion
- a face turned ashen
- the invalid's blanched cheeks
- tried to speak with bloodless lips
- a face livid with shock
- lips...livid with the hue of death- Mary W. Shelley
- lips white with terror
- a face white with rage