cadaverous
/kəˈdævərəs/
ADJECTIVE
1. Having the appearance or qualities of a corpse
Resembling a dead human body, especially in being extremely pale, thin, gaunt, bloodless, or ghastly in appearance.
1.1. Extremely pale or deathly complexion
Describing a person's face or skin as unnaturally pale, colorless, or bloodless, resembling the appearance of a corpse.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- rosy
- ruddy
- flushed
- florid
- rubicund
- glowing
- blooming
Examples
- His face, pale and gaunt, appeared almost cadaverous under the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital room.
- After several weeks of illness, she developed a cadaverous complexion.
- The exhausted prisoner's cadaverous appearance alarmed the visitors.
Related Words
1.2. Extremely thin, gaunt, or emaciated appearance
Describing someone who is abnormally thin, bony, or wasted, often because of illness, hunger, exhaustion, or prolonged suffering.
Synonyms
- gaunt
- emaciated
- skeletal
- scrawny
- bony
- rawboned
- thin
- skinny
- wasted
- lank
- scraggy
- haggard
- starved
- undernourished
- underfed
Antonyms
Examples
- His long illness gave him a cadaverous appearance.
- The once-healthy man became cadaverous after months of starvation.
- The cadaverous figure looked exhausted and painfully thin.
Related Words
- bag of bones
- skin and bones
- lanky
- sinewy
- spare
- withered
- wizened
- shriveled
- shrunken
- pinched
- drawn
1.3. Corpse-like or ghastly appearance
Describing a person, face, figure, or appearance that resembles a dead body or creates an eerie impression associated with death.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Examples
- The haunted house had a cadaverous atmosphere, with dim lights casting eerie shadows on the walls.
- The old mansion had a cadaverous appearance, with peeling paint and broken windows.
- The stranger's face had a cadaverous quality that made everyone uneasy.