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
Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Traditional gingham print is a check variation on the same hue, but West Elm Kids puts a spin on this classic by pairing contrasting pink and blue pastels on this Watercolor sheet set that is very much contemporary in style.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2025
Sophia Panych, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025
From late March to mid-April, hillsides, parks, and city streets across the country overflow with the glowing pastel pink of sakuras.
—Kristin Braswell, AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pastel
Adjective
Previously, fans could score bags in navy, yellow, red and green or pastel shades of pink, blue, green and purple.
—Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Traditional gingham print is a check variation on the same hue, but West Elm Kids puts a spin on this classic by pairing contrasting pink and blue pastels on this Watercolor sheet set that is very much contemporary in style.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
As goth became more commercialized in the 1990s (hello, Hot Topic), the subculture splintered into sub-subcultures (cyber goth, chola goth, pastel goth, to name a few) and expanded beyond the music scene into a safe space for young people who felt different.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 8 Oct. 2025
From late March to mid-April, hillsides, parks, and city streets across the country overflow with the glowing pastel pink of sakuras.
—Kristin Braswell, AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pastel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastel
Adjective
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Ratty pale jeans, band T-shirt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
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Still, the Ottoman-style architecture and the pale pink of a nearby Orthodox church distinguish ski towns and resorts like Brezovica and Jahorina.—
Naomi Tomky,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In her TikTok video, Campbell threw in a crossword book, camera, watercolor set, paper planner, and knitting supplies.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Oct. 2025
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But the pink watercolor version is on sale for Prime Day and would pair well with nude heels.—
Ivy Odom,
Southern Living,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The faded colors and distressed pattern give the rug an always-been-here feel and lend a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere to the space.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
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But as cars streamed into the park’s entrance off the Rickenbacker Causeway, many visitors were met by protesters urging them not to spend another dime at the faded South Florida tourist attraction.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But the paintings are not just larger versions of the drawings.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
15 Oct. 2025
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Green screens, reenactments and, in the case of the two boys, drawings, offered ways to create material while away from home.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The researchers plan to address the light sensitivity issue by modifying how the vitamin interacts with the electrolyte and by improving the engineering of the flow cell itself.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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On Sunday, Jeanty was stopped for a loss or no gain on four of his 10 runs against light boxes, and overall, the Las Vegas Raiders were stuffed 11 times on 29 attempts — the most of any team in a game this season.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Four Classic Designs Artist Denise Fiedler created the works with gouache and acrylic paint layered on vintage gardening book pages, then assembled on archival cotton board.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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Munch made many different versions of the celebrated work, including one painting (tempera and oil on cardboard), one drawing (crayon on cardboard) and six lithographs.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This lightweight acrylic-blend sweater is a perfect layering piece under a leather jacket or winter coat.—
Gabriela Izquierdo,
Southern Living,
10 Oct. 2025
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Transfer one word per pumpkin, and use black acrylic or crafts paint to fill in the outline.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pastel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastel. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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