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

India’s changing light informs the palette — with white and cream softened by the sun, dusty pink, light pastels and earthy spice tones sit alongside bright colors. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Due to their high shopper demand, Trader Joe’s has released multiple iterations of the canvas bags featuring stripes, pastels, and seasonal colors. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Jennifer Coolidge, who played the ambitious and brassy realtor who donned pastel-colored power suits, is back for the second season. — Peter White, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

Things got even worse when the first images of the slab-sided and pastel-shaded Type 00 coupe concept leaked. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 7 Oct. 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