wan

/wɒn/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɑn] /wɑːn/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈɑn] /ˈwän/ (ame, mw) · /wæn/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈɑn] /wæn/ (ame, ipa)

wan — adjective

  • wanpositive
  • wannercomparative
  • wannestsuperlative

1. used for describing a person's face or skin when it has lost its normal healthy

1.形容詞B1
釋義

used for describing a person's face or skin when it has lost its normal healthy colour and looks unusually pale, typically because of illness, exhaustion, or worry.

例句

Nadia looked wan and exhausted after working three night shifts in a row.

wan + adjective (exhausted) for describing tired appearance

The doctor noticed how wan the child's face had become after the fever broke.

同義詞
  • pale

    general term for light or colourless skin; less specific about tiredness

  • pallid

    more dramatic, suggesting unnatural or unhealthy paleness from illness

  • ashen

    greyish pale, like ash; used for shock or fear rather than exhaustion

  • haggard

    adds a rough, worn-out look with dark circles and signs of strain

反義詞
  • rosy

    healthy pink colour of the skin

  • ruddy

    reddish and healthy-looking, often from good circulation or outdoor life

文法句型

wan + noun (face, complexion, appearance)

look/feel/become + wan

用法筆記

Subject is most commonly a person's face, complexion, or general appearance. Frequently paired with other adjectives of appearance such as 'tired', 'drawn', or 'grey'.

常見錯誤

❌The old milk looked wan.
✅The old milk looked pale.
💡'wan' describes living faces or skin, not objects or substances.
❌She wanned her face with powder.
✅Her face looked wan from lack of sleep.
💡'wan' is not a verb meaning 'to make pale' in modern use; the verb form is intransitive (to become pale).

2. used for describing a source of light that is weak, faint, or not very bright, s

2.形容詞B2
釋義

used for describing a source of light that is weak, faint, or not very bright, so that objects nearby are hard to see clearly or appear dull.

例句

The wan light of the winter sun cast long shadows across the empty classroom.

wan + light + of + [time/season]

A single wan lamp flickered in the hallway outside the hospital room.

同義詞
  • dim

    general word for not bright; less literary and more common in everyday speech

  • faint

    describes a light that is barely visible or very weak

  • feeble

    suggests a light that is too weak to be useful

反義詞
  • bright

    strong and vivid light

  • vivid

    intense and clear light, with good colour

文法句型

wan + noun (light, glow, lamp, sun)

a wan + noun

用法筆記

Common in literary or descriptive writing. Unlike 'dim', which can describe any level of reduced light, 'wan' carries a slightly poetic tone and often suggests a light that is also cold or disappointing.

常見錯誤

❌I turned off the wan light.
✅I turned off the dim light.
💡'wan' is not used for controlled light from a switch; it describes the natural quality of a weak light source.

wan — noun

wan — verb