cadaverous
What does "cadaverous" mean?
The word "cadaverous" describes someone who looks extremely thin, pale, and gaunt, specifically resembling a corpse. It evokes the mental image of hollowed cheeks, sunken eyes, and skin that appears stretched tightly over bone, often suggesting severe illness, starvation, or a ghostly quality. It is a fairly formal and descriptive adjective, rarely used in casual conversation. Because of its morbid connotation, it should be used with care; it is typically found in literature or journalism to emphasize a dramatic, unhealthy, or deathly appearance rather than just simple thinness.
"cadaverous" in conversation
Discussing a character in a book
Did you finish the thriller? That antagonist was terrifying.
Did you finish the thriller? That antagonist was terrifying.
I know! The author described him as having a cadaverous face that made my skin crawl.
I know! The author described him as having a cadaverous face that made my skin crawl.
Used here to emphasize the unsettling, deathly nature of a character.
Commenting on a friend's health
Are you feeling okay? You look a bit pale today.
Are you feeling okay? You look a bit pale today.
I've been working way too many hours. I feel a bit cadaverous, honestly.
I've been working way too many hours. I feel a bit cadaverous, honestly.
The speaker uses the word for dramatic effect to describe their own exhaustion.
"cadaverous" in a sentence
The long illness left him looking thin and cadaverous.
The long illness left him looking thin and cadaverous.
A cadaverous figure emerged from the shadows of the old mansion.
A cadaverous figure emerged from the shadows of the old mansion.
His cadaverous complexion contrasted sharply with the vibrant colors of the festive ballroom.
His cadaverous complexion contrasted sharply with the vibrant colors of the festive ballroom.
