as in pale
lacking intensity of color
a pastel blue to go with the pale pink walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in watercolor
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pastel
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Feb. 2026
Crafted in a shiny fabric, the dress incorporated muted tones of pink, green and silver, evocative of the pastel color palette often associated with the Netflix series.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
Of course, the chrome finish gives the pastel pink a frosty sheen that feels perfect for the current and future forecasts.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pastel
Adjective
According to the Trader Joe's website, the series of pastel shades will return at the beginning of spring, for a limited time.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Feb. 2026
Crafted in a shiny fabric, the dress incorporated muted tones of pink, green and silver, evocative of the pastel color palette often associated with the Netflix series.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Each nail features a different dusty pastel for a mani that's equal parts airy and moody.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 20 Feb. 2026
Of course, the chrome finish gives the pastel pink a frosty sheen that feels perfect for the current and future forecasts.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pastel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastel
Adjective
-
Gosling begins singing about the pale blue dot and his new movie — but the camera keeps panning away, selecting Harry!—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Mar. 2026
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Fruit Salad To keep things chic and simple, opt for a neutral base and ask for cherry, strawberry, orange, and blueberry designs in muted shades, with pale green stems to keep the look fun but not too outré.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The diffused appearance of this gradient design has a mesmerizing, watercolor-like appearance.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
20 Feb. 2026
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Scrolling through the results, Benning then selected a diverse set of reference images and turned these into digital collages on an app on their phone, finally executing them on paper through the highly personal and painstaking medium of watercolor.—
Alex Bacon,
Artforum,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Groom indoor plants to remove yellowing leaves and faded blooms.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
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Before the third siren at seven o’clock Chitol parked his bicycle alongside hundreds of others like it, his identified by a faded yellow piece of his wife’s old sari around the handlebars, which doubled as a duster.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When are the Hoosier Lottery drawings held?—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
4 Mar. 2026
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If two or more people win the jackpot in the same drawing, the money is shared equally among all winning tickets.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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There’s an update on the barn jacket in a soft light blue wash, with a contrast white leather collar; a sweeping denim car coat ideal for transitional weather, and an A-line denim skirt designed to be worn over pants.—
Libby Page,
Vogue,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Generally this means books that are prose-light, plot-forward, and propulsive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Made with gouache and pencil on paper, the work depicts a guitar and several everyday objects, including a bottle and a folded sheet of paper, arranged on a table in soft brown and gray tones.—
Dragana Jovanovic,
ABC News,
18 Oct. 2025
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With an airbrush borrowed from his job at an ad agency, Man Ray would blast droplets of gouache onto board or heavy paper and use stencils to organize the spray.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The decision to paint with tempera, the same medium used to create those Arabic maps, proved fortuitous.—
Zoe Si,
New Yorker,
19 Dec. 2025
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Paints and Brushes You can regularly find acrylic or tempera paint in a variety of colors.—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This beanie contains 100% acrylic fabric that’s warm, stretchy and durable.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
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These floating shelves are made of clear acrylic, creating chic, minimalist organization in any space.—
Brittany VanDerBill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pastel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastel. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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