Pastel
//ˈpæstl̩// noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of several subdued tints of colors, usually associated with pink, peach, yellow, green, blue, and lavender. countable, uncountable
- 2 A traditional dish in various Latin American countries and in Indonesia, resembling a tamale, pasty, or calzone. countable, uncountable
- 3 any of various pale or light colors wordnet
- 4 A drawing made with any of those colors. countable, uncountable
- 5 A Filipino stew made with vegetables, sausages, and chicken or other meat in a creamy sauce. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A type of dried paste used to make crayons. countable, uncountable
- 7 A crayon made from such a paste. countable, uncountable
- 8 Woad. countable, uncountable
"Wool was dyed in the pastel vat."
Adjective
- 1 delicate and pale in color wordnet
- 2 lacking in body or vigor wordnet
Example
More examples"Madame de Pompadour liked pastel colors and floral patterns."
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from French pastel, from Italian pastello (“pastel”), from Medieval Latin pastellum (“dough, paste”), from Latin pasta (“dough, paste”), ultimately from Ancient Greek πάστη (pástē, “dough, paste”). Doublet of pastegh, pastiglia, pastila, pastilla, and pastille.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Spanish pastel, ultimately the same word as Etymology 1.
Related phrases
More for "pastel"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.