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
To see them — from an appropriate distance, of course — visit the Windmill and West Traps pastures. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 23 Sep. 2026 Mixed-use pastures known as dehesas were planted with crops and peppered with oak trees, which provided cork and firewood. — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 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
  • Designed for ranch work and rugged driving, the Terra pickup features green paint, 37-inch tires on 18-inch wheels, heavy-duty side steps, a front bull bar, a roof basket with lights, and expanded cargo-bed storage.
    — Chase Jordan October 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Squeezing into the enclave size limit allowed Rybolt Lamar to make yet another attempt to turn her ranch into a subdivision, even though Orange County commissioners had already voted against development plans on the property in 2010, 2016 and 2024.
    — Nico Rivero, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ranch
Verb
  • But a 2-1 slider grazed Bryan De La Cruz’s jersey, and a Bryson Stott single to right put runners at the corners and ended Sale’s day.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The bullet only grazed the officer’s neck, court records say.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of graze
Noun
  • After the Steelers’ eight-play, 80-yard fourth-quarter drive tied the game at 24, the Browns answered with a seven-play possession of their own.
    — Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Among the rewards was that 22-yard touchdown run, on which Williams shot through a huge hole up the middle and charged into the end zone untouched.
    — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 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
  • On Sunday, the American pope celebrated Mass before some 150,000 people — many in wheelchairs — on the prairie next to Lourdes’ main basilica.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • On Sunday, the American pope celebrated Mass before some 150,000 people — many in wheelchairs — on the prairie next to Lourdes' main basilica.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 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 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pasture

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of perseverate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All