pall 1 of 2

Definition of pallnext
1
as in coffin
a boxlike container for holding a dead body bearing her husband's pall were her four brothers and two nephews

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in cloud
an overspreading element that produces an atmosphere of gloom a persistent pall of distrust has overtaken this administration and will remain until the president resigns

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pall different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of pall are cloy, glut, gorge, sate, satiate, and surfeit. While all these words mean "to fill to repletion," pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

When is it sensible to use cloy instead of pall?

While the synonyms cloy and pall are close in meaning, cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

When might glut be a better fit than pall?

Although the words glut and pall have much in common, glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

When is gorge a more appropriate choice than pall?

While in some cases nearly identical to pall, gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

How are the words satiate and sate related as synonyms of pall?

Both satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel
readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

In what contexts can surfeit take the place of pall?

The meanings of surfeit and pall largely overlap; however, surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

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 pall
Noun
The team boarded the bus in Cleveland after a 117-95 blowout by the Cavaliers in dead silence, an icy pall setting in among teammates desperate not to let losing become comfortable. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026 In other words, while Fox would love to be able to crow about who the Cowboys will host on Thanksgiving Day, a little mystery surrounding that matchup isn’t going to cast a pall on the network’s Monday afternoon pitch. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 May 2026
Verb
If there was no Venice, does that mean that the overall attraction of an Adriatic cruise would pall? Julia Buckley, CNN, 8 May 2021 But three weeks into their stay — Spain arrived in New Zealand well in advance of its first game, hoping to draw the sting from the jet lag — the place had started to pall. Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for pall
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pall
Noun
  • At the ages of 15 and 12, the brothers walked shoulder-to-shoulder behind their mother Princess Diana's coffin in 1997.
    Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Mourners chanted non-stop, with no sign of the ayatollah’s coffin more than an hour after the procession’s official start time.
    Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • On July 3, Arcade made its agent authorization and tool-execution runtime available through the Microsoft Azure and AWS marketplaces, so enterprises can deploy it inside their own cloud with one click.
    Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • To try Adidas’s cloud-like designs for yourself, consider these Ultraboost running sneakers.
    Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • The nineteenth-century lace veil was found in an antiques market and secured with Grace Kelly's Cartier tiara.
    Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 5 July 2026
  • The strapless corset gown had a sheer illusion jacket embellished with pearls and was paired with a cathedral veil.
    Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • Best Linen Pants Deals When blazing-hot afternoons suddenly subside into breezy evenings, linen pants help keep you cool while offering the right amount of coverage.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 4 July 2026
  • Investors’ fears of Anthropic’s Mythos model, which was launched in April, upending all cybersecurity software businesses, have since subsided.
    Kirk Ogunrinde, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Noun
  • His casket was lined with images of the blue cartoon dog.
    Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 June 2026
  • Mavericks fans staged a faux funeral complete with a casket a day later in front of the Dirk Nowitzki statue outside American Airlines Center.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • In the hospital’s courtyard, relatives wept over the bodies covered in white burial shrouds.
    Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026
  • Silver and predatory birds aside, Silver and eagles aside, the shoe features a black leather and mesh region beneath the shroud with a red Jumpman.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026
  • The union said that unresolved complaints made against Hawk and existing climate issues have significantly diminished confidence among many educators.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
Noun
  • He will be buried on Thursday, after another ​procession, in Mashhad near the tomb of the Imam Reza, a figure of great devotion in Iran.
    Parisa Hafezi, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • With the patio door closed, however, the room was as silent as a tomb.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pall.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pall. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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