pastel

1 of 2

noun

pas·​tel pa-ˈstel How to pronounce pastel (audio)
Synonyms of pastelnext
1
: a paste made of powdered pigment ranging from pale to deep colors and used for making crayons
also : a crayon made of such paste
2
a
: a drawing in pastel
b
: the process or art of drawing with pastels
3
: a light literary sketch
4
: any of various pale or light colors

pastel

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: of or relating to a pastel
b
: made with pastels
2
: pale and light in color
3
: lacking in body or vigor

Synonyms of pastel

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Adjective

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Examples of pastel in a Sentence

Noun She has a collection of pastels. She prefers a pastel like light yellow. The room is painted in a pastel shade of blue. Adjective a pastel blue to go with the pale pink walls
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Musée d’Orsay has La Matinée rose (The Pink Morning), a 1874 pastel acquired by the French state in 1885. — Sarah Belmont, ARTnews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 This year’s red carpet leaned into 1950s Hollywood glamour, with pastels emerging as one of the night’s defining trends. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Sit indoors among the sleek black and white marble interiors or, weather permitting, head outside to the garden nestled into the courtyard outfitted with pastel armchairs and sofas among the climbing ivy and leafy potted plants. — Jaclyn Degiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 Wotherspoon’s Air Max 1/97 featured a Light Blue Fury/Lemon Wash colorway which combined pastel shades of green, purple, blue, pink, gray and yellow across an upper fully constructed from corduroy. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pastel

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Italian pastello, from Late Latin pastellus woad, from diminutive of pasta

First Known Use

Noun

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pastel was in 1612

Rhymes for pastel

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Browse Nearby Words

paste grain
pastel
pastel blue
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pastel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastel. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

pastel

1 of 2 noun
pas·​tel pas-ˈtel How to pronounce pastel (audio)
1
a
: a paste made of ground color and used for making crayons
b
: a crayon of such paste
2
: a drawing in pastel
3
: any of various pale or light colors

pastel

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or made with pastels
2
: pale and light in color

More from Merriam-Webster on pastel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastel

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