Pasty

A 'pasty' typically refers to a baked dish consisting of a pastry crust filled with a savory mixture, often meat and vegetables.

It can also describe a pale, unhealthy complexion, lacking color. Figuratively, it can denote something that's cloyingly sentimental or excessively sweet. The term carries connotations of traditional cooking, but can also reflect pallor or, in its figurative sense, a lack of substance or originality.

Pasty meaning with examples

• The Cornish pasty, with its crimped edge and hearty filling, is a staple of the region. It's a perfect handheld meal for a quick lunch or a picnic.
• After being indoors all winter, her skin had a pasty appearance, lacking the sun-kissed glow of summer.
• The movie's saccharine romance and simplistic plot gave the film a pasty quality, lacking any real depth or complexity.
• The baker pulled the golden-brown pasty from the oven, its delicious aroma filling the kitchen. It was nearly ready!
• His long illness had left him with a pasty face and a general feeling of lethargy, making it hard for him to face the day.