pale
gb/pˈeɪl/ us/pˈeɪl/
A2
English
~ 2500
sápadt, halvány, elsápad, palánk, cölöpkerítés
A2
1
sápadt
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] looks pale
She looked pale after hearing the bad news.
Sápadtnak tűnt, miután meghallotta a rossz hírt.
His face turned pale when he saw the accident.
Elsápadt az arca, amikor meglátta a balesetet.
You’re looking a bit pale—are you feeling alright?
The child went pale with fear.
He was pale from working all night without rest.
Learner examples
She looks pale today.
Ma sápadtnak látszik.
He is pale because he is sick.
Sápadt, mert beteg.
My friend turns pale when he is scared.
The boy is pale after the long trip.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'pale' with 'fair'; 'fair' refers to natural light skin tone, while 'pale' often suggests a change from the usual tone due to a condition.
Meaning
Having light or whitish skin color
Collocations
look pale
|turn pale
|pale face
|pale complexion
Synonyms
wan (More literary and suggests weakness or exhaustion.)
Antonyms
flushed (Describes skin that is red, often from heat, embarrassment, or exertion.)
Themes
health
|appearance
|daily life
|body
|emotions
Definition
When a person’s skin looks lighter than normal, often because they are sick, scared, or tired.
Having skin that appears lighter than usual, often because of illness, fear, or tiredness.
A2
2
halvány
B1
Usage pattern:
pale [color]
She wore a pale blue dress to the wedding.
Halványkék ruhát viselt az esküvőn.
The walls were painted a pale yellow to create a warm feeling.
A falakat halványsárgára festették, hogy meleg hangulatot teremtsenek.
A pale light came through the curtains.
The sky turned a pale pink at dawn.
He chose a pale green for the nursery.
Learner examples
I like pale blue shirts.
Szeretem a halványkék ingeket.
The room is painted pale yellow.
A szoba halványsárgára van festve.
Her bag is pale pink.
We saw pale green leaves in spring.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'light' instead of 'pale'; 'light' is fine, but 'pale' often suggests even less intensity and sometimes a faded look.
Meaning
Light in color or shade
Collocations
pale blue
|pale yellow
|pale green
|pale light
Synonyms
pastel (Refers specifically to soft, light shades, often in design or art contexts.)
Antonyms
vivid (Describes colors that are very bright and strong.)
Themes
colors
|art
|design
|core_vocabulary
Definition
When a color is not strong or bright but soft and light.
Having a light or washed-out shade of a color.
VERB
B1
3
elsápad
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] pales
She paled when she heard the explosion.
Elsápadt, amikor meghallotta a robbanást.
He visibly paled at the sight of blood.
Láthatóan elsápadt a vér látványától.
I could see him pale as the news sank in.
Learner examples
She paled when she saw the snake.
Elsápadt, amikor meglátta a kígyót.
He paled after running too fast.
Elsápadt, miután túl gyorsan futott.
I pale when I am scared.
Meaning
To lose normal skin color
Collocations
pale visibly
|pale suddenly
Synonyms
blanch (More formal or literary; also used metaphorically.)
Antonyms
flush (To become red in the face, often from heat or emotion.)
Themes
health
|emotions
|body
Definition
When someone’s skin changes to a lighter color because they are afraid, sick, or shocked.
To become lighter in skin color, often due to fear, illness, or shock.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
4
palánk
C1
cölöpkerítés
B2
In medieval times, towns were surrounded by a pale for protection.
A középkorban a városokat védelmi célból palánk vette körül.
The cattle were kept within the pale.
A marhákat a palánkon belül tartották.
They lived beyond the pale of settlement.
Learner examples
The farm had a pale around it.
A farm körül cölöpkerítés volt.
A pale was built to keep animals inside.
Palánkot építettek, hogy az állatok bent maradjanak.
Meaning
A boundary marked by stakes or fence
Collocations
beyond the pale
Synonyms
enclosure (General term for an area that is fenced in.)
Themes
history
|geography
|space
|housing
Definition
A fence made from wooden posts, or the area inside it (not common in daily speech).
A stake or fence forming an enclosure; by extension, the enclosed area itself.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pale
IPA
GB/pˈeɪl/
US/pˈeɪl/
Syllables & stress
pale (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (pale)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: pale
- Comparative: paler
- Superlative: palest
Noun
- Base: pale
- Plural: pales
Verb
- Base: pale
- 3rd Person Singular: pales
- Present Participle: paling
- Past: paled
Word family
Expressions
beyond the pale
1/bɪjˈɔnd ðə pˈeɪl/
idiom
literary
Outside acceptable behavior or limits
Not acceptable; going too far in behavior or action.
Examples
- His comments were offensive and beyond the pale.
- Cheating in an exam is beyond the pale.