What does pastier mean?
Pastier is the comparative form of the adjective pasty, meaning more paste-like, doughy, or pale in appearance. Its commonest use is with a face or complexion: someone described as pastier looks pale and somewhat unhealthy, although the expression is often playful rather than seriously critical. It can also be used in comparisons involving pastry, although this sense is much less frequent. The word occurs especially in British English but is also understood in American English. The related noun pastier, meaning a maker or seller of pastry, survives in only rare and dated usage. Pastier is useful when a speaker needs to express a gradual visual comparison without replacing the adjective with a stronger term such as sallow, which would sound considerably more negative.
Comparative of pasty; more paste-like or doughy, especially in reference to a pale complexion.
"The child looked pastier and more tired after the journey."
Common in informal British and American usage, particularly when describing a face or complexion.
A maker or seller of pastry.
"The shop employed a pastry maker and a pastier."
Rare and dated.
The plural is relevant only to the rare, dated noun sense.
"Several pastiers worked in the kitchen."
A pastier face is not a pastry face—it is a complexion that could use a little more colour.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pastier come from?
The comparative is formed by adding the suffix -er to pasty. The adjective sense associated with a paste-like complexion is commonly linked to the older sense of paste-like, while the related vocabulary of pastry and pie entered English through French. English pastry, pastie, and pâté belong to this wider French and English pastry family, although the modern forms do not always preserve the same precise historical connection.
Related word forms
How pastier is actually used
As a comparative adjective, it is mainly informal and is often used to describe a pale, doughy-looking face. The noun sense is rare, dated, and much less common in modern usage.
Easily confused with pastier
Pastier is the comparative form of the adjective pasty, whereas pastry is the dough used to make baked goods.