pastiche
Americannoun
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a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.
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an incongruous combination of materials, forms, motifs, etc., taken from different sources; hodgepodge.
noun
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a work of art that mixes styles, materials, etc
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a work of art that imitates the style of another artist or period
Etymology
Origin of pastiche
1700–10; < French < Italian pasticcio pasticcio
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If Quentin Tarantino pastiche were a crime, these films would be hauled off to the clink.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026
He opted for pseudo-macho pastiche, with a distinct Reddit-ish tang: Operation Epic Fury might as well translate to Operation Epic Bacon.
From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026
Both foes imagine a self-consciously cinematic scene, something audiences themselves assumed Tarantino would then deliver with gusto exactly as they described — isn’t that the hipster pastiche he’s after?
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025
Mr. Tarantino wouldn’t be the filmmaker he is if his work were mere pastiche; the scene showcases his own mastery of heightening drama.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
She decided we should go for a pastiche of rocker looks, rather than trying to copy any one artist.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
