cadaverous

Cadaverous is an adjective meaning having the appearance of a corpse: extremely pale, wan, and gaunt, with sunken features. It can describe a person, animal, or even an atmosphere that seems deathly or ghastly. The term often conveys a sense of lifeless, eerie, or morbid impression beyond ordinary pallor.

The word derives from Latin cadaver, meaning “a corpse,” through Old French cadavre. It entered English in the early modern period and broadened from literal corpse-like appearance to figurative uses describing extreme pallor, decay, or menace.

In medical contexts, cadaverous pallor refers to severe paleness associated with illness, malnutrition, or shock. In literature, journalism, and everyday prose, cadaverous is used to intensify descriptions of horror, morbidity, or moral desolation, frequently paired with nouns such as pallor, face, features, countenance, or light.

Cultural usage notes: cadaverous conveys a strong, macabre tone and is more stylistic than clinical. While it can enrich descriptive writing, it is less neutral than terms like pallid or wan and may be avoided in precise medical documentation in favor of objective descriptors. Its impact lies in evoking the appearance or mood of a corpse, rather than in communicating specific health information.