Meaning & use
pastel
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Having a light, soft color that is not strong or bright.
Grammar: Used before a noun: pastel pink, pastel shades.
Patterns
- pastel color
- pastel shade
- pastel blue
She painted the nursery walls a pastel yellow.
The bridesmaids wore pastel dresses in soft lavender and mint.
The artist used pastel tones to create a calm, dreamy landscape.
nouncountable
A crayon made of powdered color, or a picture drawn with such crayons.
Grammar: Countable: a pastel, two pastels; also uncountable when referring to the medium: drawn in pastel.
Patterns
- draw with pastels
- a box of pastels
- a pastel drawing
He bought a set of soft pastels for his art class.
The gallery displayed a series of pastels by the French artist.
She prefers working in pastel because the colors blend easily.
Word forms
| plural | pastels |
|---|
Common combinations
- pastel colors
- The room was decorated in pastel colors.
- pastel shades
- The sunset sky showed pastel shades of pink and orange.
- pastel drawing
- The museum has a pastel drawing by Degas.
- soft pastels
- She uses soft pastels for her portraits.
- pastel blue
- He wore a pastel blue shirt to the party.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pale
- Pale means light in color, often because of weakness or lack of intensity; pastel suggests a deliberate, soft, pleasant lightness.
- light
- Light simply means not dark; pastel is more specific and implies a soft, chalky, or muted quality.
- muted
- Muted means not bright or loud, often with a grayish tone; pastel is usually clearer and more delicate.
Opposites
Word family
- pastelist noun
- An artist who works with pastels.
Commonly confused: pastel or pastel?
pastel vs pastel
Do not confuse with 'pastel' (the crayon) and 'pastel' (the color); they are the same word but different meanings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pastel' correctly as an adjective?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses 'pastel' as an adjective before a noun. Option 1 uses it as a verb, which is wrong. Option 2 uses it as a noun but describes it as loud and bright, which contradicts the meaning. Option 3 uses it as a verb in the past tense, which is not correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pastel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.