pastel

past·el
P3A1S1T1E1L1
UK/ˈpæstl̩/UK/ˈpæstəl/US/pæsˈtɛl//pɑsˈtɛl/

noun

Any of several subdued tints of colors, usually associated with pink, peach, yellow, green, blue, and lavender.

Similar
delicatelightlight-colored
OriginFrench paste ← Italian pastello ← Latin pastellum →
Less commonScrabble 8
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Meanings

pastel1

nounpastel (countable and uncountable, plural pastels)

plural pastels · alternative pastille

  1. countableuncountableAny of several subdued tints of colors, usually associated with pink, peach, yellow, green, blue, and lavender.
  2. countableuncountableartA drawing made with any of those colors.
  3. countableuncountableA type of dried paste used to make crayons.
  4. countableuncountableA crayon made from such a paste.
  5. countableuncountableWoad.

    Wool was dyed in the pastel vat.

pastel2

nounpastel (countable and uncountable, plural pastels or pasteles)

plural pastels · plural pasteles

  1. countableuncountableA traditional dish in various Latin American countries and in Indonesia, resembling a tamale, pasty, or calzone.
  2. countableuncountableA Filipino stew made with vegetables, sausages, and chicken or other meat in a creamy sauce.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivelacking in body or vigor

Similar
delicate

adjectivedelicate and pale in color

Similar
lightlight-colored
Also see
light

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

pastel · noun

  1. Ancient Greekπάσσω (pássō)
  2. Ancient Greekπαστός (pastós)
  3. Ancient Greekπαστά (pastá)
  4. Latinpasta
  5. Latinpastellus
  6. Latinpastellum
  7. Italianpastello
  8. Frenchpaste
  9. Englishpastel

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.

More words from French, Italian, Medieval Latin

Full word history & related roots →

pastel · noun

  1. Ancient Greekπάσσω (pássō)
  2. Ancient Greekπαστός (pastós)
  3. Ancient Greekπαστά (pastá)
  4. Latinpasta
  5. Latinpastellus
  6. Latinpastellum
  7. Italianpastello
  8. Old Frenchpastel
  9. Spanishpaste
  10. Englishpastel

Borrowed from Spanish pastel, ultimately the same word as Etymology 1.

More words from Spanish

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian пастел, пастел
  • пастел (pastel)drawing made with these colors
  • пастел (pastel)crayon made from such a paste
Chinese Mandarin 粉画, 色素粉末
  • 粉画drawing made with these colors
  • 色素粉末type of dried paste
  • 粉彩 (fěncǎi)type of dried paste
  • 蠟筆 /蜡笔 (cǎisè làbǐ)crayon made from such a paste
  • 油畫棒 /油画棒crayon made from such a paste
  • 粉畫兒筆 /粉画儿笔crayon made from such a paste
Czech pastelová barva, pastel
  • pastelová barvaany of several subdued tints of colors
  • pasteldrawing made with these colors
  • barevná křídacrayon made from such a paste
Finnish pastellisävy, pastelli
  • pastellisävyany of several subdued tints of colors
  • pastellidrawing made with these colors
  • pastellityödrawing made with these colors
  • pastelliliitucrayon made from such a paste
French pastel
  • pastelcrayon made from such a paste
German Pastellfarbe
  • Pastellfarbeany of several subdued tints of colors
Hungarian pasztell, pasztellkréta
  • pasztellany of several subdued tints of colors
  • pasztellkrétacrayon made from such a paste
Japanese パステルカラー, パステル
  • パステルカラー (pasuteru karā)any of several subdued tints of colors
  • パステル (pasuteru)crayon made from such a paste
Korean 파스텔
  • 파스텔 (paseutel)crayon made from such a paste
Polish pastel, pastel
  • pastelany of several subdued tints of colors
  • pasteldrawing made with these colors
  • pasteltype of dried paste
  • pastelcrayon made from such a paste
Portuguese pastel, pastel
  • pastelany of several subdued tints of colors
  • pasteldrawing made with these colors
  • pasteltype of dried paste
  • pastelcrayon made from such a paste
Russian пасте́ль, пасте́ль
  • пасте́ль (pastɛ́lʹ)any of several subdued tints of colors
  • пасте́ль (pastɛ́lʹ)drawing made with these colors
  • пасте́ль (pastɛ́lʹ)type of dried paste
  • пасте́ль (pastɛ́lʹ)crayon made from such a paste
Spanish color pastel, tono pastel
  • color pastelany of several subdued tints of colors
  • tono pastelany of several subdued tints of colors
Turkish pastel
  • pastelany of several subdued tints of colors
Ukrainian пасте́ль
  • пасте́ль (pastélʹ)crayon made from such a paste
Vietnamese phấn tiên
  • phấn tiêntype of dried paste
Yiddish פּאַסטעל, פּאַסטעל־קרײַדל
  • פּאַסטעל (pastel)drawing made with these colors
  • פּאַסטעל־קרײַדל (pastel-kraydl)crayon made from such a paste

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with pastel

wellhotellsellcelltelleldelpersonneldellNFLshellfellexcelMichellegeldlmotelspellsmellrebelbellemelmichel
All rhymes →

Anagrams

platesstapleseptalStapel
Cite this entry
APA

pastel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pastel

MLA

“pastel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pastel. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pastel,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pastel.

Source: pastel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.