pastel

¹ American  

[pa-stel, pas-tl] / pæˈstɛl, ˈpæs tl /

noun

1. a color having a soft, subdued shade.

2. a kind of dried paste made of pigments ground with chalk and compounded with gum water.

3. a chalklike crayon made from such paste.

4. the art of drawing with such crayons.

5. a drawing so made.

6. a short, light prose study or sketch.

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adjective

1. having a soft, subdued shade.

2. drawn with pastels.

   a pastel portrait.

pastel ² American  

[pas-tel] / ˈpæs tɛl /

noun

1. the woad plant.

2. the dye made from it.

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pastel British  

/ pæˈstɛl, ˈpæstəl /

noun

1. 1. a substance made of ground pigment bound with gum, used for making sticks for drawing

   2. a crayon of this

   3. a drawing done in such crayons

2. the medium or technique of pastel drawing

3. a pale delicate colour

4. a light prose work, esp a poetic one

5. another name for woad

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adjective

1. (of a colour) pale; delicate

   pastel blue

Other Word Forms

• pastelist noun

Etymology

Origin of pastel¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, from Italian pastello, from Late Latin pastellus, variant of Latin pastillus pastille

Origin of pastel²

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French pastel “woad,” from Provençal, from Medieval Latin pastellum (neuter) “woad” (originally “woad paste”), for Late Latin pastellus (masculine), diminutive of pasta paste

Explanation

A pastel is a soft, pale color. If your favorite shades are light blue and pale pink, you can say that you prefer pastels. Pastel is also an adjective describing a soft color, like a pastel shade of green or a pastel lavender dress. Another kind of pastel is the artist's crayon made of powdered pigments bound together in a solid stick, which produce soft, blended colors. Starting in the late 1800s, pastel was used to mean "soft shade" as well as "soft art medium." In French, pastel means "crayon."

Example Sentences

We huddle around my phone as I show him images of Bad Bunny in the music video “NUEVAYoL” and Don Johnson in a pastel linen suit from an episode of “Miami Vice.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

Throughout the novel - the cover of which is pastel pink with the title spelled out in children's alphabet blocks - the protagonist uses child-like language, wears children's clothing, and engages in child-like behaviour.

From BBC • Feb. 10, 2026

Le Particulier Miami – This newly opened Mid-Beach gem embraces Art Deco whimsy with pastel pinks and purples, brass accents and flamingo-covered wallpaper.

From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026

The toy they ended up building is a sleek block in pastel colors that sits under the TV and looks like a Rubik’s Cube.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025

As Miss Love had promised, there was a black grosgrain coat for Mama, and for Loma a thin, expensive-looking white dress with big pastel flowers embroidered on it.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• delicate