as in pallid
having an unhealthy yellowish skin color
He looked tired and sallow. She has a sallow complexion.
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Recent Examples of sallow
In recent years, conservation scientists have taken advantage of non-invasive imaging and high-energy X-rays produced by particle accelerators to understand just why these beautiful yellows have morphed into dark browns and sallow whites.
—
Stephanie Demarco, Discover Magazine, 18 May 2021
According to Wednesday's world, a sallow complexion with carved cheekbones is definitely in.
—Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 30 Nov. 2022
His skin’s dark complexion was also tinted a dull yellow, producing the sallow cast of dead grass.
—Jonathan Reisman, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2016
Many of us know from personal experience that dry skin also often looks dull and sallow, and fine lines can appear more pronounced.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for sallow
Stephanie Demarco, Discover Magazine, 18 May 2021
According to Wednesday's world, a sallow complexion with carved cheekbones is definitely in.
—Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 30 Nov. 2022
His skin’s dark complexion was also tinted a dull yellow, producing the sallow cast of dead grass.
—Jonathan Reisman, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2016
Many of us know from personal experience that dry skin also often looks dull and sallow, and fine lines can appear more pronounced.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for sallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sallow
Adjective
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Robert Vaughn is a particularly pallid villain, and the movie’s case against computers, uh, hasn’t aged too well.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
11 July 2025
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Rickman’s Snape was almost cartoonish with his hawk nose and long, straight black hair and pallid skin.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Kids get hurt and get sick, like anyone else; every year, a few in the practice battle life-threatening illness, often cancer.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Mission Viejo raced to the title while playing without wide receiver Vance Spafford (sick), cornerback Jeron Jones (fractured wrist), safeties Sawyer Thomson (knee) and Zachary Foeldi (knee) and wide receiver Max Markofski (hip).—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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The creature had pale orange stripes along its body, eyes on the side of its head and other physical characteristics of a Barbados threadsnake.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 July 2025
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Hendrix, 54, wore a pale pink gown with silver floral beading details, paired with old-Hollywood style pin curls and a bold lip.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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Mackenzie first underwent a Kasai procedure to remove the blockage, but remained jaundiced and had trouble gaining weight.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
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Taken on its own, however, Boyle and Garland’s trip back to this hellscape makes the most of casting a jaundiced, bloodshot eye at our current moment.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Consider his painting Inheritance (1897-99), which depicts a coughing mother holding a sickly newborn.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 July 2025
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Jessica leaves her apartment and tells him to get his stuff out by the end of the day, during which her sickly dog dies.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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More white people claim the credit than Black people certainly.—
Tax Notes Staff,
Forbes,
14 Feb. 2023
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Black people make up about 14% of the U.S. population but are three times more likely to face hunger than white people, according to the Agriculture Department.—
Maya Eaglin,
NBC News,
11 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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The surgery is often needed to relieve symptoms of coronary artery disease, which occurs when plaque — a waxy substance primarily consisting of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and cellular waste products — builds up in the heart and associated arteries, according to Harvard Health.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
17 July 2025
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Soft scales are about 1/10 to 1/4-inch long and typically are waxy, bright white and produce a sticky waste called honeydew.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sallow. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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