wan

adjective
UK: /wɒn/
US: /wɑːn/

  1. Looking pale and weak, often suggesting illness or fatigue.

    1. She looked wan after a sleepless night trying to complete her project.
    2. The sick child had a wan complexion, a silent testament to the severity of the infection.

Synonyms

pallid sickly pale faint feeble
wan intransitive-verb

  1. To become pale and sickly in appearance.

    1. Her face began to wan as she heard the bad news.
    2. As the days passed without sunlight, the plant started to wan and lose its vibrant green color.
wan noun

  1. A weak or feeble smile.

    1. He gave a wan smile, trying to appear cheerful.
    2. Despite her exhaustion, a wan smile touched her lips as she saw her friends.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "wan" is /wɒn/ in British English and /wɑːn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "wan": pallid, sickly, pale, faint, feeble.

Example usage of "wan": "She looked wan after a sleepless night trying to complete her project.". More examples on the page.