Pallor is an unhealthy paleness of the skin, especially in the face. When someone has pallor, their skin looks unusually white or drained of color, often because they're sick, frightened, or exhausted. You might notice pallor in a friend who stayed up all night studying and looks washed out the next morning, or in someone who just received shocking news.

Doctors pay attention to pallor because it can signal that something's wrong with a person's body. The pale appearance happens when less blood flows near the surface of the skin, which can occur during illness, fear, or extreme tiredness. A patient with the flu might have a noticeable pallor, looking much paler than their normal, healthy complexion.

Writers often use pallor to describe characters in tense moments: “A sudden pallor came over her face when she heard the news” shows both the physical change and the emotional shock. Unlike someone with naturally fair skin, a person with pallor looks unhealthy or unwell, as if the color and vitality have temporarily drained away from their face.