pasture 1 of 2

noun

ˈpas-chər How to pronounce pasture (audio)
Definition of pasturenext
as in ranch
open land over which livestock may roam and feed horses grazing in a fenced pasture

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

pasture

2 of 2

verb

as in to graze
to feed on grass or herbs pasturing sheep on town lands was actually a cheaper alternative to mowing

Synonyms & Similar 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 pasture
Noun
Explore New England forests filled with sugar maple and hemlock, old carriage roads, and Green Mountain pastures in this National Historical Park. — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026 The mountains, undulating pasture and forest that surround Lanserhof Lans are a potent medicine in themselves. — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
Verb
Hence their motivation to send Powell out to pasture—save billions in interest payments and take control of the bond market. — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 His friend, a 64-year-old shepherd, had requested a permit from authorities that day to check on his sheep, pasturing in the area just above Blatten. — Laura Millan, Bloomberg, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for pasture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pasture
  1. ranch
  2. graze
  3. yard
  4. pasturage
  5. prairie
Noun
  • What began as a jean engineered for ranch work and rodeo competition has since become a versatile staple, worn by everyone from working cowboys to everyday consumers.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 14 July 2026
  • Americans have fallen in love with visiting teams and foreign visitors have become enamored, of all things, with American-size food portions and ranch dressing.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of ranch
Verb
  • Every song on the nearly hour-long album contains brief moments that graze brilliance or, in some instances, achieve it.
    — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 16 July 2026
  • The child told investigators that Duggar repeatedly asked her to sit on his lap, at one point manipulating her underwear and grazing her genitals on a couch and under a blanket.
    — Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 15 July 2026
Definition of graze
Noun
  • Drafted as a running back, Hawthorne served mainly as a backup, amassing 527 career rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
    — Jim Barnes July 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 July 2026
  • No Sacramento defender followed, so Amang hit Moon with the give-and-go pass into the 18-yard box.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2026
Definition of yard
Noun
  • Meanwhile, many of the same people were evicted from their houses as landowners used the crisis to clear off these human encumbrances and free their fields for more profitable pasturage.
    — Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Here in rural Somalia, where about 50% of the people depend on animals for their livelihoods, the locusts are eating the pasturage.
    — NBC News, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2020
Definition of pasturage
Noun
  • The land that is today Sterling Ranch was a working ranch on the prairie not long ago.
    — Olivia Young, CBS News, 13 July 2026
  • Yes, a large portion of the state is made up of prairies and farmland, but the Black Hills in southwestern South Dakota are home to a handful of relatively affordable mountain towns.
    — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
Definition of prairie

Browse Nearby Words

pasturages
pasture
pastured
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pasture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pasture. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pasture

Nglish: Translation of pasture for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pasture

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All