pale
/peɪl/ (bre, ipa) · [pˈel] /peɪl/ (ame, ipa) · [pˈel] /ˈpāl/ (ame, mw)
pale — adjective
- palepositive
- palercomparative
- palestsuperlative
1. showing very little natural colour in the face or skin, often from illness, shoc
showing very little natural colour in the face or skin, often from illness, shock, or fear.
Noor turned pale when the nurse mentioned another blood test.
turn pale when + alarming news
After climbing the stairs, Christopher looked pale and sat beside the window.
look pale after physical strain
Mizuki's pale face worried the driver during the long ferry ride.
The baby stayed pale and quiet after waking from the fever.
文法句型
look/go/turn/stay + pale
pale + face/skin/complexion
用法筆記
Often used after verbs such as look, go, turn, and stay. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense describes reduced colour in skin, not a light shade of an object.
常見錯誤
2. light in shade, or weak in brightness, rather than deep, dark, or vivid.
light in shade, or weak in brightness, rather than deep, dark, or vivid.
Ada chose a pale green blanket for the baby's room.
pale + colour word
Early sunlight cast a pale line across the classroom floor.
pale light = weak brightness
The moon looked pale above the harbor before the storm arrived.
Vinicius painted the wall a pale yellow to brighten the hallway.
- light
More general; it can describe colour without suggesting weakness in brightness.
- faint
Often focuses on weak light rather than a light colour.
- washed-out
More informal and usually suggests colour has lost its richness.
文法句型
pale + colour word
pale + light/sunlight/moonlight
be/look + pale
用法筆記
Usually appears before colour words or nouns that name a source of light. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes the shade or brightness of things, not the colour of a person's face.
常見錯誤
pale — verb
- palepresent simple I / you / we / they
- pales3rd person singular
- paling-ing form
- paledpast simple
1. to become pale in the face because of illness, fear, or shock.
to become pale in the face because of illness, fear, or shock.
Haruto paled when the customs officer opened the backpack.
pale when + clause
Indra paled at the thought of speaking alone on stage.
pale at the thought of + noun phrase
Benjamin paled after reading the message from the hospital desk.
The coach paled when the referee pointed toward the penalty spot.
- flush
Means the face gains colour rather than loses it.
文法句型
pale + when + clause
pale + at + noun phrase
face + pale
用法筆記
Usually used about a person's face and often followed by when, at, or after to show the cause. Unlike the adjective, this sense describes the change itself.
常見錯誤
pale — noun
- palesingular
- palesplural
1. a limit or area that marks what is accepted, allowed, or protected.
a limit or area that marks what is accepted, allowed, or protected.
The comment placed him outside the pale of polite dinner talk.
outside the pale of + noun
Within the pale of school rules, students could decorate their lockers.
within the pale of + noun
The editor kept the debate within the pale of clear facts.
Those acts fell beyond the pale of what the village could forgive.
- freedom
Focuses on having no such limit or restriction.
文法句型
beyond the pale
within the pale
outside the pale of + noun
用法筆記
Now most often appears in the fixed phrases within the pale and beyond the pale. Distinguish from senses 2 and 3, which name physical fence parts.
常見錯誤
2. a fence formed from upright wooden stakes with pointed tops.
a fence formed from upright wooden stakes with pointed tops.
A pale enclosed the orchard behind the stone farmhouse.
a pale around + place
Workers repaired the pale after cattle pushed through one corner.
repair a pale
The castle yard was protected by a tall pale and a ditch.
Shanti leaned a ladder against the pale while picking late pears.
- opening
An unclosed space where no barrier stands.
文法句型
build/repair + a pale
a pale around + place
用法筆記
Mostly historical or literary in modern English. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense names the whole fence, while sense 3 names one piece of it.
常見錯誤
3. one pointed wooden stake used as part of a fence or palisade.
one pointed wooden stake used as part of a fence or palisade.
The carpenter sharpened each pale before setting it into the trench.
sharpen each pale
One pale snapped when the wagon backed into the gate.
one pale snapped
The children counted missing pales along the farm boundary.
Benjamin replaced a rotten pale near the garden path.
文法句型
replace/sharpen + a pale
row of pales
用法筆記
Usually appears in descriptions of fences, especially when counting, repairing, or replacing the separate pieces. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense refers to one stake, not the whole fence.