pastel 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of pastelnext
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

pastel

2 of 2

noun

as in watercolor

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pastel
Adjective
Now, as someone who governs less radically than feared and is on the cusp of becoming Italy’s longest-serving postwar leader, Meloni often wears pastel-colored suits with wide-legged trousers that cover her high heels. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 The sky is painted pastel, and the waves rear up 20-feet-high before thundering onto the shore, over and over. — Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
While the pastel was trending earlier this year, it’s officially been overtaken by its more summery sister. — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 24 June 2026 Among pop-up bars, bandstands and opulent, 19th century spa buildings painted in sherbet pastels, the Karlovy Vary Intl. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 21 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pastel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastel
  1. pale
  2. watercolor
  3. faded
  4. drawing
  5. light
  6. gouache
  7. tempera
  8. acrylic
Adjective
  • The open-plan four-bedroom features polished concrete floors, built-ins with pale wood, and windows placed to maximize energy efficiency.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The interiors are just as blissful, with terra-cotta walls and smooth, wooden floor-to-ceiling wardrobes adding warmth to pale stone floors and marble bathrooms.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of pale
Noun
  • The watercolor on paper was meant to mark the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth.
    — Adam Bell, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Afternoons could include a farm-to-table cooking class focused on handmade Mexican tortillas, a watercolor workshop or harvesting seasonal produce directly from the fields.
    — Jill Schildhouse, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of watercolor
Adjective
  • The team behind this research studied 14 candidates for faded or remnant radio galaxies found in a region of the sky over Earth, studied intensely by the XMM-Newton X-ray spacecraft, called the XMM–Newton Large-Scale Structure (XMM–LSS) field.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • How to Deadhead Coneflowers Deadheading coneflowers is as simple as removing the faded flower heads.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of faded
Noun
  • Lottery officials have not yet announced whether a ticket matched all six numbers in the latest drawing, leaving players across the country waiting to see if a new multimillionaire has been made.
    — Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • These guardrails have long constrained the drawing of congressional maps.
    — Yuripzy Morgan, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of drawing
Adjective
  • Kodali said drones could prove more useful for certain light-weight deliveries that are needed urgently like prescription medications.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The battery is smaller, lighter and cleverer than most rivals.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of light
Noun
  • The tarot is a full 78-card deck, with each card an original work of art, usually a composite of gouache painting and collage/lithography.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • The first iteration of the lottery was won by Jeffrey Gonano, a 25-year-old man from a suburb of Pittsburgh, who won a L’Homme au Gibus (1914), also a gouache on paper.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of gouache
Noun
  • This will be followed by a final period in Florence to learn the technique and historical evolution of egg tempera, to acquire ancient handweaving skills and expand her knowledge of its applications in the ecclesiastic context.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
  • The decision to paint with tempera, the same medium used to create those Arabic maps, proved fortuitous.
    — Zoe Si, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Definition of tempera
Noun
  • More recently, Jacobs has donned long, clickety-clackety acrylic nails, a true fashion doyenne, and now favors his growing collection of tweed jackets.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 18 Aug. 2026
  • It’s made from nylon, acrylic, wool, and viscose, which blends the warmth and coziness of real wool with a soft, comfortable feel that’s easy to wear all day—no matter what the forecast says.
    — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of acrylic

Browse Nearby Words

pasted
pastel
pastels
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Cite this Entry

“Pastel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastel. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pastel

Nglish: Translation of pastel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastel

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