pall 1 of 2

noun

Definition of pallnext
1
as in coffin
a boxlike container for holding a dead body bearing her husband's pall were her four brothers and two nephews

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in cloud
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom a persistent pall of distrust has overtaken this administration and will remain until the president resigns

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in veil
something that covers or conceals like a piece of cloth a pall of gloom overshadowed the failing theater's last production

Synonyms & Similar Words

pall

2 of 2

verb

ˈpȯl How to pronounce pall (audio)
as in to subside
to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually viewers' interest in the reality show eventually palled

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pall different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of pall are cloy, glut, gorge, sate, satiate, and surfeit. While all these words mean "to fill to repletion," pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

When is it sensible to use cloy instead of pall?

While the synonyms cloy and pall are close in meaning, cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

When might glut be a better fit than pall?

Although the words glut and pall have much in common, glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

When is gorge a more appropriate choice than pall?

While in some cases nearly identical to pall, gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

How are the words satiate and sate related as synonyms of pall?

Both satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel
readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

In what contexts can surfeit take the place of pall?

The meanings of surfeit and pall largely overlap; however, surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pall
Noun
Sunday’s Game 7, the 20th in NBA Finals history, remained close through the first half even after Haliburton’s injury cast a pall over the proceedings. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 23 June 2025 But the glow of success, and even more so the pall of failure, is always shared. —Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2025
Verb
If there was no Venice, does that mean that the overall attraction of an Adriatic cruise would pall? —Julia Buckley, CNN, 8 May 2021 Reduced to highlights and stripped of distinction, Percy’s adventures with Furies, oracles, Medusa, Ares and Hades quickly pall. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2019 See All Example Sentences for pall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pall
  1. coffin
  2. cloud
  3. veil
  4. subside
  5. casket
  6. shroud
  7. diminish
  8. tomb
Noun
  • This Fall may be the final nail in the coffin, however.
    — John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
  • The biggest revelation in both movies is that throughout the war Lucas had heroin shipped to the U.S. from Vietnam in coffins containing dead soldiers.
    — Steve Bloom, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2025
Definition of coffin
Noun
  • Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2025
  • The grassy mantle was dying, exposing the earth, and dust clouds began to sweep across the runways.
    — Fabio Morábito, New Yorker, 24 July 2025
Definition of cloud
Noun
  • The post also pulled back the veil, if only slightly, on the complex and secretive process federal officials use to determine who belongs on terrorism watch lists that can influence decisions every day by employers, airport security and law enforcement.
    — Dan Horn, The Enquirer, 14 July 2025
  • Not only that, but Katie Gaudreau’s veil featured custom messages in her brothers’ handwriting.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
Definition of veil
Verb
  • Once the shock subsided, Wiley realized what an unusual and humorous experience this is.
    — Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
  • Riding the wave Still other curveballs can await a player after the draft night buzz has subsided.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2025
Definition of subside
Noun
  • Other green burials, which avoid embalming chemicals and use biodegradable caskets, already are legal in Minnesota.
    — Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 16 July 2025
  • Caisson units provide horses and soldiers to pull caskets at military funerals.
    — Raven Brunner, People.com, 9 July 2025
Definition of casket
Noun
  • By June 2009, the boys — now men — had been released from prison and had their charges dismissed while a shroud of mystery remained over what happened that December night in 1991.
    — Sean Neumann, People.com, 17 July 2025
  • Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to study the dusty shrouds that envelope dying stars.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 July 2025
Definition of shroud
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the cultural visibility of this incomparable art has been diminishing for years, at least in this country.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
  • Keep clear of puddles - Driving through puddles or low rainwater areas can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 20 July 2025
Definition of diminish
Noun
  • For centuries, this fungus was feared as a silent killer lurking in ancient tombs, responsible for mysterious deaths and the legend of the pharaoh’s curse.
    — Justin Stebbing, JSTOR Daily, 24 July 2025
  • Firemen in their command center calm the fears of the locals who call in, law enforcement tracks down tomb robbers, while in the port of Torre Annunziata, Syrian tankers unload Ukrainian grain.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 July 2025
Definition of tomb

Browse Nearby Words

palish
pall
palladia
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Cite this Entry

“Pall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pall. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pall

Nglish: Translation of pall for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pall

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