sallow

UK: /ˈsæləʊ/ US: /ˈsæloʊ/ ,(sal′ō)

Inflections of 'sallow' (adj):

sallower

adj comparative

sallowest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

sal•low¹ /ˈsæloʊ/   adj., -er, -est. 

1. of a sickly, yellowish color:
   a sallow complexion.

sal•low•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

sal•low¹  (sal′ō), adj., -er, -est, v. 
adj. 

1. of a sickly, yellowish color:
   sallow cheeks; a sallow complexion.

v.t. 
2. to make sallow.
• Gmc)
• bef. 1000; Middle English sal(o)we, Old English salo; cognate with Old Norse sǫlr yellow; compare French sale dirty (
sal′low•ish, adj. 
sal′low•ness, n. 
Synonyms
• 1. bilious, jaundiced.

sal•low²  (sal′ō), n. [Brit.]

1. Plant Biology, British Terms any of several shrubby Old World willows, esp. Salix atrocinerea or the pussy willow, S. caprea.

• bef. 900; Middle English; Old English sealh; cognate with Old High German salaha, Latin salix

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sallow / ˈsæləʊ/ adjective

1. (esp of human skin) of an unhealthy pale or yellowish colour

verb

1. (transitive) to make sallow

Etymology: Old English salu; related to Old Norse sol seaweed (Icelandic sōlr yellowish), Old High German salo, French sale dirty

ˈsallowish adjective

ˈsallowness noun

sallow / ˈsæləʊ/ noun

any of several small willow trees, esp the Eurasian Salix cinerea (common sallow), which has large catkins that appear before the leaves

a twig or the wood of any of these trees

Etymology: Old English sealh; related to Old Norse selja, Old High German salaha, Middle Low German salwīde, Latin salix

ˈsallowy adjective