as in pale
lacking intensity of color
a pastel blue to go with the pale pink walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Tara Klein, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2026
These two-story buildings—with pastel façades, ornate plasterwork, and wood shutters—once contained the businesses and residences of Chinese and Indian migrants, and are now a main attraction on any Southeast Asian itinerary.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Still, no visit is complete without ending the meal with a warm pastel de nata dusted with cinnamon—and maybe a box to take home.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pastel
Adjective
The album art features a beautiful landscape scene with snow-laden trees and a pastel-pink sky.
—Tara Klein, SPIN, 15 Apr. 2026
These two-story buildings—with pastel façades, ornate plasterwork, and wood shutters—once contained the businesses and residences of Chinese and Indian migrants, and are now a main attraction on any Southeast Asian itinerary.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
Opt for a baby pastel blue to still be close enough to a versatile neutral.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Still, no visit is complete without ending the meal with a warm pastel de nata dusted with cinnamon—and maybe a box to take home.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pastel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastel
Adjective
-
Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio had already spun the Renaissance fantasy of the bella donna, with her golden tresses, blue eyes, and pale skin.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Some produce pale purple flowers that form crowns around deep green foliage, but others bloom in pink, red, blue, and white hues.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Merrill had also been selling prints of her watercolor paintings on Etsy, and as her YouTube following grew, so did her number of orders.—
Gili Malinsky
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Two standouts include the vibrant three-panel watercolor on silk of her palace in the lobby and the pink-and-gold, four-panel ombré wall art at reception, made of ceramic tiles from the beloved Bát Tràng Pottery Village.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For the second time in a week, the Dodgers made a minor-league acquisition of a faded pitching prospect with impressive velocity but poor control.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, Jenner is pictured wearing a pair of faded yellow jeans and a white tank top, paired with a belly chain.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
More than a dozen millennials gathered in a brownstone apartment in Brooklyn and placed their phones in a metal colander before two hours of reading, drawing and conversation — anything but staring at screens.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Certain categories, like social hangouts or free-form drawing, are excluded by default for younger users.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Winds will be light and out of the northwest at around 5mph.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Most of the students wore collared shirts and slacks; the one female student who joined, Theresa Boyle, who lives in an apartment building across the street, wore a light-blue dress and a small cross necklace.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Ari Hodara, a 59-year-old software engineer from Paris, won Tête de femme (1941), or head of a woman, a gouache-on-paper portrait, according to Reuters.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Use a paintbrush or your finger to cover the egg with tempera paint.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
14 Mar. 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
Noun
-
Instead, consider upgrading to higher-quality materials like wood or concrete for flooring, and acrylic for cabinets.—
Natasha Bazika,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The statues, printed in Dallas in a bright lime-green acrylic, depict athletes such as FIFA World Cup champion Julie Foudy and pro golfer Lucy Li and other sports professionals such as former Dallas Mavericks chief executive officer Cynt Marshall and kinesiologist Colleen Hacker.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pastel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastel. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
