The word wan describes a dull or unusually pale appearance, especially in a person, face, flower, or light source. In poetry, it often conveys more than color: it can suggest fading vitality, sadness, exhaustion, or a weakened condition. In Francis Hastings Doyle’s poem, wan emphasizes the rose’s pale, withering stillness before the dew-drop restores it.

Wan is often associated with faces, flowers, the moon, or other things that appear pale or drained of color. It can also suggest emotional or physical weakness, as in “a wan smile” or “a wan expression.” Related words include pale, faded, ashen, sallow, bleak, and languid; however, wan often has a poetic or slightly old-fashioned tone. The word comes from Old English wann, meaning “dark” or “dull-colored.” Its meaning later developed toward “pale” or “sickly-looking.”