noun
pall
PAWL/pɔːl/
A gloomy mood or influence that covers a situation.
A pall of grief hangs over the family gathering.
Etymology
A cloak or covering became a figurative covering of gloom over a situation; the deeper origin is uncertain.
More examples
- The bad news casts a pall over dinner.
- A pall of sadness settles over the room.
Forms
pall
Similar words
- gloom
- A general feeling or atmosphere of sadness.
- shadow
- A figurative negative influence without the covering-cloth image.