adj

pasty

PAYS-tee

adj

Unhealthily pale in complexion.

"He looked pasty and tired after the long flight."

noun

A baked pastry case filled with seasoned meat and vegetables, folded into a semicircle.

"A traditional Cornish pasty is filled with beef, potato, and swede."

How to Use Pasty

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAs an adjective, pale-looking; as a noun, a hand-held pie with a pastry crust, famously Cornish.

Common pairings

pasty complexion pasty-faced Cornish pasty

pastier comparative, pasties plural, pastiest superlative

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He looked _____ and tired after the long flight.

From "paste" plus the adjectival suffix "-y" — the noun sense (the pie) comes from the same "paste" root via the dough it's made of.

nasty hasty tasty toasty dynasty