Meanings
ashen1
comparative more ashen · superlative most ashen
- Made from the wood of the ash-tree.
An ashen bow and quiver of arrows beside.
ashen2
comparative more ashen · superlative most ashen
- Of or resembling ashes.
A fine, ashen dust hung in the air.
ashen3
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveanemic looking from illness or emotion
adjectivemade of wood of the ash tree
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
ashen · adjective
- Proto-West Germanic*askīn
- Old Englishæsċen
- Middle Englishaschen
- Englishashen
From Middle English aschen, asshen, from Old English æsċen (“made of ashwood”), equivalent to ash (“ash tree”) + -en (“made or consisting of”). Cognate with Scots aishen (“ashen”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →ashen · adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eHs-der.?
- Proto-Germanic*askǭ
- Proto-West Germanic*askā
- Old Englishæsce
- Middle Englishasche
- Middle Englishaschen
- Englishashen
From Middle English aschen, asshen (“ash-colored; pale; lifeless”). By surface analysis, ash (“remains”) + -en (“made or consisting of”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →ashen · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂eHs-der.?
- Proto-Germanic*askǭ
- Proto-West Germanic*askā
- Old Englishæsce
- Middle Englishasche
- Englishash
- Englishashen
From ash (“remains”) + -en (verbal suffix).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μέλινος
- μέλινος (mélinos)made of ash-wood
Bulgarian пепеляв
- пепеляв (pepeljav)of or resembling ashes
Catalan cendrós, cendrosenc
- cendrósof or resembling ashes
- cendrosencof or resembling ashes
Chinese Mandarin 梣木製 /梣木制
- 梣木製 /梣木制made of ash-wood
Czech jasanový, popelavý
- jasanovýmade of ash-wood
- popelavýof or resembling ashes
- bledýash-colored; pale
- sinalýash-colored; pale
Finnish saarnipuinen, tuhkainen
- saarnipuinenmade of ash-wood
- tuhkainenof or resembling ashes
- kelmeäash-colored; pale
French cendré, cendré
- cendréof or resembling ashes
- cendréash-colored; pale
- cendreuxash-colored; pale
German eschen, aschig
- eschenmade of ash-wood
- aschigof or resembling ashes
Greek μέλινος, σταχτής
- μέλινος (mélinos)made of ash-wood
- σταχτής (stachtís)ash-colored; pale
Icelandic úr eski
- úr eskimade of ash-wood
Irish fuinseach
- fuinseachmade of ash-wood
Italian di frassino
- di frassinomade of ash-wood
Japanese トネリコ材製の, 灰の
- トネリコ材製の (tonerikozaisei no)made of ash-wood
- 灰の (hai no)of or resembling ashes
Latin fraxineus, cineraceus
- fraxineusmade of ash-wood
- cineraceusof or resembling ashes
- cinereusof or resembling ashes
- cinericiusof or resembling ashes
- favillāticusof or resembling ashes
- favillāceusof or resembling ashes
- cinereusash-colored; pale
- cineraceusash-colored; pale
- cinericiusash-colored; pale
Norwegian Bokmål askegrå
- askegråash-colored; pale
Polish jesionowy, popielaty
- jesionowymade of ash-wood
- popielatyof or resembling ashes
- bladyash-colored; pale
Portuguese de freixo, cinéreo
- de freixomade of ash-wood
- cinéreoof or resembling ashes
Romanian cenușiu
- cenușiuof or resembling ashes
Russian я́сеневый, пе́пельный
- я́сеневый (jásenevyj)made of ash-wood
- пе́пельный (pépelʹnyj)of or resembling ashes
- се́рый (séryj)ash-colored; pale
- пе́пельный (pépelʹnyj)ash-colored; pale
Scottish Gaelic bàn-ghlas
- bàn-ghlasash-colored; pale
Spanish ceniciento, lívido
- cenicientoash-colored; pale
- lívidoash-colored; pale
- pálidoash-colored; pale
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ashen
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
ashen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ashen
“ashen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ashen. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ashen,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ashen.
Source: ashen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.