# pastel

/pæˈstɛɫ/ (US) · /pˈɑːstəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pastel
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a pale color

noun · CEFR B2

a soft, light color like pale pink, light blue, or soft yellow.

For teachers: a soft and subdued shade of a color, characterized by high luminance and low saturation.

- The nursery was decorated in soft pastels like mint green and pale lemon.
- The spring collection featured a palette of delicate pastels, contrasting sharply with the bold primary colors of the previous season.

### 2. art medium

noun · CEFR B2

a stick of colored powder held together with a special paste, used like a crayon for drawing.

For teachers: an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder.

- She bought a new box of soft pastels to use in her art class.
- Working with soft pastels requires a textured surface to ensure the pigment particles adhere properly to the paper.

Usage: Often used in the plural when referring to the set of tools.

### 3. a type of drawing

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a picture or drawing made using pastel sticks.

For teachers: a drawing or painting executed using pastel sticks.

- The museum has a beautiful 18th-century pastel of a young woman.
- The gallery specialized in French pastels, showcasing the medium's unique ability to capture the velvet texture of skin and fabric.

### 4. Latin American food

noun · CEFR C2 · Dialect

a traditional dish in some Latin American countries that looks like a small pie or pastry.

For teachers: a traditional savory pastry or dish found in various Latin American and Caribbean cuisines, often filled with meat or vegetables.

- We ate delicious chicken pastels at the street market in Brazil.
- During the festival, vendors sold thousands of deep-fried pastels filled with cheese, minced meat, and hearts of palm.

### 5. pale in color

adjective · CEFR B2

having a soft, pale, or light color.

For teachers: of a soft, pale, or light shade; having low saturation.

- He wore a pastel blue shirt that matched his eyes.
- The interior designer recommended pastel tones for the small bedroom to make the space feel more open and airy.

## Examples

- She prefers to wear soft pastels in the spring.
- The artist used a blue pastel to capture the soft light of the morning sky on the canvas.
- While oil paints offer rich saturation, the use of pastel allows for a velvety texture and a luminous quality that is difficult to replicate with other media.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.