pale ale

noun

: a usually medium-colored, very dry ale with a strong flavor of hops see also india pale ale

Examples of pale ale in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
This is the place for anyone who hears about a new pale ale and instantly wants to book a trip. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026 Barbecued chicken works well with an amber or pale ale. — Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 Rewild is the new West Coast pale ale, made with citra and centennial hops. — Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026 The Best Beer for Batters When choosing the beer for this recipe, opt for something light and crisp like a pale ale, pilsner, or lager. — Martha Stewart, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for pale ale

Word History

First Known Use

1695, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pale ale was in 1695

Rhymes for pale ale

See All Rhymes for pale ale

Browse Nearby Words

Paleacrita
pale ale
paleanthropic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pale ale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pale%20ale. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pale ale

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pale ale

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All