pastel

1 of 2

noun

pas·​tel pa-ˈstel 

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

Adjective

• pale
• faded
• light

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

Noun

The land recreates Arendelle around a lagoon, its timber buildings painted in muted Scandinavian pastels, facades adorned with rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian decorative art. —Thomas Adamson, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026

The land re-creates Arendelle around a lagoon, its timber buildings painted in muted Scandinavian pastels, facades adorned with rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian decorative art. —Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026

Adjective

Light shades such as pastel or lime green add lightness, while deeper colors like bottle green or forest green give the outfit structure. —Jana Ackermann, Glamour, 28 Mar. 2026

At some point, imagery of pastel rabbits and neon-yellow marshmallow critters will appear everywhere. —Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026

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

Rhymes for pastel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

pastel

1 of 2 noun

pas·​tel pas-ˈtel 

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