noun

pall

pawl

noun

A heavy cloth draped over a coffin or tomb.

"A black velvet pall covered the casket as it was carried into the church."

"The family chose a simple white pall for the funeral."

A dark, heavy covering of something, such as smoke, dust, or gloom, that spreads over a place.

"A pall of smoke hung over the city after the fire."

"A pall of silence fell over the room when the news broke."

verb

To become dull, tiresome, or unappealing after too much of something.

"Even the best jokes start to pall after you have heard them a dozen times."

"The luxury of the hotel began to pall after the first week."

How to Use Pall

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAs a noun, a pall is a heavy cloth laid over a coffin, or a thick covering of gloom, smoke, or dust. As a verb, it means to become boring or lose its appeal over time.

Common mistake

The verb sense ("to pall") is usually intransitive and often followed by "on" — "it began to pall on me" — not "it palled me."

Common pairings

a pall of smoke cast a pall over begin to pall

Word Forms

palled past tense, palled past tense, palls plural, Palls plural, palls plural, palls singular, palls singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

A black velvet _____ covered the casket as it was carried into the church.

Etymology

From Old English pæll, borrowed from Latin pallium ("cloak, covering") — the noun for a coffin-cloth came first; the verb "to grow dull" developed later in English.

Rhymes for pall

all wall fall ball tall call hall gall mall small shall stall

See all rhymes for pall →