Cadaverous

Cadaverous describes a person or thing that is pale, gaunt, and resembling a corpse, typically due to illness, starvation, or extreme age. It evokes an image of someone thin and emaciated, with a sunken appearance, reflecting a lack of vitality and a ghostly pallor. This adjective suggests a morbid and unsettling aesthetic, hinting at decay and vulnerability. Often associated with the walking dead, cadaverous signifies a skeletal look and a general sense of ill health, which can make the subject appear frightening or unsettling, reflecting a possible state of decline or a near-death appearance. The term is frequently utilized in literature to depict characters whose appearance underscores their physical or emotional state.

Cadaverous meaning with examples

• The shipwreck survivor was a cadaverous figure, his skin stretched taut over bone after weeks without food, reminding onlookers of a living skeleton who was clearly on the brink of death.
• In the dimly lit hospital room, the cadaverous patient, his face etched with the suffering of a long illness, lay in the bed, barely clinging to life, awaiting a possible medical miracle.
• The vampire, described as a cadaverous creature with sharp features and a pallid complexion, stalked the moonlit streets, a frightening presence that sent shivers down anyone who crossed his path.
• The old, abandoned mansion held a cadaverous presence, with its decaying walls and spectral atmosphere. Everything felt like a foreboding environment.
• The artist's painting portrayed a cadaverous portrait of the once-vibrant town, now ravaged by drought and decay, reflecting the withering of the community.