wan
wan — adjective
- wanpositive
- wannercomparative
- wannestsuperlative
1. looking unusually pale and weak, as if suffering from illness, tiredness, worry,
looking unusually pale and weak, as if suffering from illness, tiredness, worry, or emotional strain
After three sleepless nights, Nora's face looked wan and drawn.
wan and drawn — common paired adjectives
The nurse noticed how wan the patient had grown since the operation.
A wan reflection stared back at Kwame from the hospital mirror.
Brandon's wan complexion worried his teammates during the long match.
Devika looked wan and exhausted after caring for her sick mother all week.
用法筆記
Frequently paired with nouns such as face, complexion, smile, or expression. Often occurs after linking verbs: look wan, grow wan, seem wan.
常見錯誤
2. (of light, the sky, or a color) lacking brightness or intensity; faint and not s
(of light, the sky, or a color) lacking brightness or intensity; faint and not strong
A wan winter sun barely lit the frozen garden in January.
wan + sun / light / glow — for dim natural light
The only light came from a wan bulb hanging in the hallway.
Through the morning fog, Ziad could see the wan glow of a distant lighthouse.
Caleb switched on a lamp to replace the wan light from the old ceiling fixture.
用法筆記
Primarily used in literary or descriptive writing about natural light (sun, moon, sky) or artificial lighting. Less common in everyday conversation.
wan — verb
- wanpresent simple I / you / we / they
- wans3rd person singular
- wanning-ing form
- wannedpast simple
1. to gradually become paler, weaker, or more sickly in appearance, especially beca
to gradually become paler, weaker, or more sickly in appearance, especially because of illness, exhaustion, or emotional distress
After three sleepless nights in the hospital, the nurse noticed that Tanvi's face began to wan.
began to wan — inceptive aspect for gradual change
Ilan's cheeks seemed to wan a little more each day as his illness dragged on.
cheeks + wan — literal physical appearance
The cut flowers in the dim room began to wan and lose their color.
His face seemed to wan further with each piece of bad news from the doctor.
文法句型
wan (no object)
用法筆記
Very rare in modern English; literary or formal contexts prefer 'grow pale', 'become pale', or simply the adjective construction 'look wan'. Never takes an object.