wan
gb/wˈɑn/ us/wˈɑn/
C1
English
~ 9800
sápadt, halovány, erőtlen
C1
1
sápadt
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] looks wan
She looked wan after working through the night.
Miután egész éjjel dolgozott, sápadtnak tűnt.
His face was wan and drawn as he left the hospital.
Az arca sápadt és megviselt volt, amikor elhagyta a kórházat.
The long illness had left him thin and wan.
A wan teenager sat in the waiting room, coughing quietly.
He gave a wan nod, too exhausted to speak.
Learner examples
After the flu, she still looks wan.
Az influenza után még mindig sápadtnak látszik.
He is so wan that his friends worry about him.
Olyan sápadt, hogy a barátai aggódnak érte.
The child grew wan during the long trip.
Her wan face shows that she needs rest.
He feels better, but he is still a little wan.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "wan" with the more common verb "want" in spelling and pronunciation. "Wan" is pronounced /wɒn/ (similar to "won" in many accents) and is mainly used as an adjective about appearance, not desire.
Meaning
pale and tired-looking
Collocations
wan face
|wan cheeks
|look wan
|pale and wan
|wan and tired
Synonyms
pale (More common and general; does not always suggest illness or tiredness.)
|
sickly (Stronger and more negative; clearly suggests poor health, not just tiredness.)
Antonyms
rosy (Suggests a healthy pink color in the face, the opposite of a wan look.)
Themes
health
|appearance
|emotions
|body
Definition
Very pale and looking sick or very tired, especially in the face.
Pale in color and looking unhealthy or exhausted, especially in the face.
C1
2
Usage pattern:
a wan [something]
She managed a wan smile when she heard the news.
A hír hallatán csak egy halvány mosolyra futotta tőle.
A wan light shone through the dirty window.
Halovány fény szűrődött át a piszkos ablakon.
The team made a wan attempt to fight back in the final minutes.
His apology was so wan that no one believed he was truly sorry.
The concert received a wan response from the tired audience.
Learner examples
He gives a wan smile when he is very tired.
Amikor nagyon fáradt, csak egy halvány mosolyt tud erőltetni.
A wan light comes from the small lamp.
A kis lámpából halovány fény árad.
Their last goal was a wan effort to win.
The movie got only a wan reaction from the crowd.
She answered with a wan voice and closed her eyes.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "wan" only describes faces, but in modern English it is also very common with words like "smile", "light", "attempt", and "performance" to mean weak or not very strong.
Meaning
weak or faint in intensity
Collocations
a wan smile
|wan light
|wan glow
|wan performance
|wan attempt
Synonyms
faint (Very close in meaning; often used for weak light, sounds, or signs of something.)
|
feeble (Similar idea of weakness but can sound more critical or negative, especially about efforts or excuses.)
Antonyms
bright (Opposite in describing light or color; suggests strong intensity instead of weakness.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|art_media
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not strong; weak or faint, for example a light, a smile, or an effort.
Weak, faint, or lacking intensity or energy, especially of light, color, expressions, or efforts.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wan
IPA
GB/wˈɑn/
US/wˈɑn/
Syllables & stress
wan (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (wan)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: wan
- Comparative: wanner
- Superlative: wannest
Word family
Forms
wanner
adjective
wannest
adjective
Core family
wanly
adverb
Highlights
- Irregular comparative: wanner Adjective
- Irregular superlative: wannest Adjective
Expressions
a wan smile
1/ə wˈɑn smˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
a weak, tired smile
A small, weak smile that shows a person is tired, sad, or not feeling well.
Examples
- She gave me a wan smile and said she would be fine.
- He managed a wan smile when they wished him good luck.
wan light
1/wˈɑn lˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
literary
weak, pale light
Light that is weak and not bright, often giving a cold or tired feeling.
Examples
- The wan light of dawn fell across the empty street.
- A single candle gave off a wan light in the dark room.