Meaning & use
wan
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparableliterary
Looking pale and tired, weak, or sick, especially in the face.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun (a wan face) or after a linking verb (she looked wan).
Patterns
- a wan face
- look wan
- grow wan
After the long illness, his face was pale and wan.
She gave a wan smile and said she was fine.
The children looked wan and tired after the journey.
adjectivecomparableliterary
Pale and weak in appearance, as of light or color.
Grammar: Describes light or color that is faint and lacks brightness.
Patterns
- wan light
- a wan glow
A wan light came through the dirty window.
The sky was a wan gray before the storm.
Word forms
| comparative | wanner |
|---|---|
| superlative | wannest |
Common combinations
- a wan smile
- He gave a wan smile to show he was trying to be brave.
- look wan
- You look wan; are you feeling all right?
- wan complexion
- Her wan complexion worried the doctor.
- wan light
- The room was lit by a wan light from the streetlamp.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pale
- Pale simply means light in color and can describe anything; wan adds a sense of tiredness or illness.
- pallid
- Pallid is more formal and often suggests unhealthy paleness; wan is slightly more literary and gentle.
- ashen
- Ashen means gray like ashes, often from shock or fear; wan is more about weakness or tiredness.
Opposites
Word family
- wanly adverb
- In a pale, tired way: she smiled wanly.
- wanness noun
- The state of being pale and tired: the wanness of his face.
Commonly confused: wan or won?
wan vs won
Won is the past tense of win; wan means pale and tired. They sound different: /wʌn/ vs /wɒn/.
Practice
Which sentence uses "wan" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Wan" is an adjective meaning pale and tired, so it fits "looked wan and tired." The other options confuse it with "won" or "want."
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wan”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.