idyll

noun

ˈī-dᵊl 

British usually ˈi-(ˌ)dil

variants or less commonly idyl

1

a

: a simple descriptive work in poetry or prose that deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes or suggests a mood of peace and contentment

b

: a narrative poem (such as Tennyson's Idylls of the King) treating an epic, romantic, or tragic theme

2

a

: a lighthearted carefree episode that is a fit subject for an idyll

b

: a romantic interlude

Synonyms of idyll

• spree

Examples of idyll in a Sentence

her year as a vineyard worker in the south of France was not the idyll that she had expected it to be

Recent Examples on the Web

That this idyll is bound to expire, sooner or later, goes without saying. — Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 3 Apr. 2026

This pre-summer idyll could not have been more different from the setting in which the Quartet was first heard. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

These are not pretty, chintzy designs referencing a pastoral idyll. — Literary Hub, 11 May 2026

Hodges’s depictions of the region’s vast landscapes cast colonization as an idyll, rendering them as picturesque extensions of Europe. — Noor Anand Chawla, JSTOR Daily, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin idyllium, from Greek eidyllion, from diminutive of eidos form; akin to Greek idein to see — more at wit

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for idyll

• bridal
• bridle
• idle
• idol
• seidel
• sidle
• tidal
• widal
• apsidal
• subtidal
• bactericidal
• insecticidal

Kids Definition

idyll

noun

variants also idyl

ˈīd-ᵊl 

1

: a simple poetic or prose work that describes peaceful country life

2

: a scene or event one might write an idyll about