sallow.

1. Having a dull yellowish color, especially in skin that looks unhealthy.

2. A willow tree or shrub, especially one with broad leaves.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a sallow complexion
• sallow skin

On the page

Weeks indoors had left him with a sallow complexion and restless eyes.

Usage notes

Primary category: sensory / description. Forms: Complexion adjective comparative sallower or more sallow, superlative sallowest or most sallow. Botanical noun singular sallow; plural sallows. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description. Commonness: moderately common.