Wan describes a pale, sickly appearance that suggests someone is tired, ill, or weak. When you've been sick with the flu for days, your face might look wan: drained of its usual healthy color, with no energy or brightness in your expression. A wan smile is weak and forced, like when you try to smile for a photo even though you're exhausted or sad.

The word carries a sense of fading or lacking vitality. A wan light is dim and weak, like winter sunlight filtering through clouds. Flowers that should be bright and colorful might look wan if they're dying from lack of water.

You might notice someone's face turning wan when they receive bad news, or see a friend looking wan after staying up too late several nights in a row. The word suggests a loss of vigor and color, a depletion of life and energy visible in the face. Unlike simple paleness, which some healthy people naturally have, wan describes an unhealthy or depleted appearance, as if exhaustion or illness has temporarily drained the usual vitality from someone's face.