waxen

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 waxen Instead, the moss’s telltale sign of woe is its glum, grayish hue, a waxen appearance that comes from ferns and algae that have crept over it. Sabrina Imbler, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waxen
Adjective
  • During a visit in August with two Times reporters, Mr. Perez’s skin was sallow.
    Aimee Ortiz, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023
  • An awkward, sallow, provincial, minor army officer, Napoleon, was irresistibly drawn to Joséphine, attracted by her proximity to the most powerful men in France.
    Anne Higonnet, Vogue, 17 Nov. 2023
Adjective
  • 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
  • Any waxy, dull, or perceptibly artificial notes would disqualify a contender.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
  • In his post-game meeting with reporters, New York coach Tom Thibodeau looked ashen and was at loss for explaining what unfolded.
    Sean Gregory, Time, 22 May 2025
  • The urologist’s face, lit by the glow of these images, was ashen.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Beneath several sickly banana trees sat a man in tired corduroy pants and worn blue Skechers.
    Pete McKenzie, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
  • As a sickly boy raised by two women, young Darin was smothered with affection.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Three massive, tree-like sculptures made of pale wood rise to the ceiling, dividing the room from the inviting bar.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • In one scene captured on video, several bloodied children, including a girl in a pale pink princess dress, along with her twin brother, were piled onto a donkey cart to be taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital.
    Aurora Almendral, NBC news, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Plus, the kid isn’t dead either, as his flailing pale self that looks on the verge of the cadaverous pops out of the trunk Jack shoves him in.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 Sep. 2024
  • Moreover, keeping the cadaverous Biden in the White House is a daily reminder to the American people of the feebleness and anemia of the Democratic Party, which taints Harris by association.
    Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 23 July 2024
Adjective
  • The skin might also turn purple or blue in people with lighter skin tones or be gray or ashy in people with darker skin tones Vomiting or making gurgling noises.
    Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
  • Editor’s tip: For those with two-toned or naturally darker lips, finding a liner that shows up without looking ashy is key, and Fenty Beauty’s Coal Blooded gets it right.
    Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 24 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Waxen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waxen. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on waxen

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!