pastel

1 of 2

noun

pas·​tel pa-ˈstel How to pronounce pastel (audio)
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

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
Wearing a custom pastel blue JW Anderson gown with feathers and pearls and her signature blond hair in a cloud of curls, Carpenter, arrived at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles for the 67th Grammy Awards ceremony. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025 Color: Warm colors such as reds, yellows and oranges create an energetic space, while a cool palette of pastels, lavenders and whites creates a serene, calming, restful garden. Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Prices for the new works range from $600,000 to $1.5 million, and many observers are weighing in on whether that’s too high, despite reports that the pastel paintings are all selling, fast. The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 3 Feb. 2025 Delicate floral prints and pastel pinks meet structured blouson jackets and tailored trousers in neutral tones. Ty Gaskins, WWD, 31 Jan. 2025 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

Dictionary Entries Near pastel

Cite this Entry

“Pastel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pastel. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

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

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