ashen

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ash·en ˈa-shən

Synonyms of ashen next

: of, relating to, or made from ash wood

ashen

2 of 2

adjective (2)

: resembling ashes (as in color)

especially : deathly pale

a face ashen and haggard

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The darkened mood of the book never lifts as a father and son shuffle across the ashen landscape, with little hope of finding a place left untouched. —

Steve Marble, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023 In the large, tabletop environment, a derelict drive-in movie theater is set beneath a hillside of rhythmically laboring pumpjacks, a slope of exceedingly vibrant flowers, pits of ashen corpses, and palm trees with tiny human bodies in place of fronds. —

Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2023 Natalia Rudenko arrives at the office on an ashen February morning with her young son, Egor, to share an account of wartime terror spanning three generations. —

Martin Kuz, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Apr. 2023 Mom’s face was ashen. —

Longreads, 12 Jan. 2023 The worst fears of residents came true this month when a section of the dam crumbled, sending a thunderous rush of gray sludge through the community that killed at least one person, destroyed 164 houses, and turned a six-mile stretch of neighborhoods and grassy fields into an ashen wasteland. —

Lynsey Chutel Ilan Godfrey, New York Times, 23 Sep. 2022 But Nicholas' face is ashen. —

Mark Johnson And Kathleen Gallagher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 Dec. 2010 Their chicks, born a few months ago, are getting tall yet remain in their nascent plumage of ashen gray feathers. —

Nick Remsen, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2022 People with darker complexions may take on an ashen or blue color, while people with lighter skin often turn red, Smith said. —

Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ashen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.