pastoral 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpa-st(ə-)rəl How to pronounce pastoral (audio)
Definition of pastoralnext
1
as in rural
of, relating to, associated with, or typical of open areas with few buildings or people painted a pastoral scene of a flower-filled meadow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ministerial
of, relating to, or characteristic of the clergy pastoral advice to a young couple preparing to marry

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pastoral

2 of 2

noun

as in pastorale

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pastoral
Adjective
Life at Eton will also include a robust pastoral support system. — Monique Jessen, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026 Between Port Orford and Brookings, about an hour's drive away, fierce sea cliffs stand in stark contrast to the pastoral farmland of Oregon's small towns. — Sarah Rose, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026
Noun
Who would not raise a glass to the memory of so vexed a merrymaker, under whose spell the city is transformed into an exotic pastoral? — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025 The pastoral, yet bittersweet lament has turned into something of an emotionally restorative California wildfire reflection. — Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pastoral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pastoral
  1. rural
  2. ministerial
  3. pastorale
  4. idyll
  5. elegy
  6. psalm
  7. madrigal
  8. epic
Adjective
  • Johnathon grew up among bull riders in his hometown of Cherbourg, a former Aboriginal mission that sits at the end of a long, sealed road in rural Queensland.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
  • But from here, in Jacopo’s one-hectare garden, you are tucked away in a Tuscan rural idyll.
    — Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of rural
Adjective
  • His comments follow a World Bank’s assessment urging Pretoria to scrap ministerial approval requirements that have throttled the competitiveness of industrial parks within South Africa’s SEZs.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 8 July 2026
  • Yet the latest prime ministerial switch raises a fundamental question not just for Britain’s political future, but for that of other major European countries such as France and Germany.
    — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 25 June 2026
Definition of ministerial
Noun
  • Including 55 serious operas, 6 cantatas, 53 comic operas, 17 operettas, 6 sing-spiele, 4 ballets, 4 vaudevilles, 2 oratorios, one each of fares, pastorales, masques, ballads and buffas.
    — WILLIAM ROBIN, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2017
Definition of pastorale
Noun
  • This Robinson Crusoe-esque idyll delivers so much more than the standard palm tree escapism, with a 39-room wellness complex that's a match for anywhere in Europe or Asia.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 June 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
Definition of idyll
Noun
  • Not long after, his elegy was answered, as neotraditional sounds have made a big comeback on country radio, led by artists like Zach Top and Midland.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026
  • Ashura processions are usually dramatic affairs, with chanters singing elegies or dirges dedicated to Hussein, while audience members beat their chests and engage in displays of mourning.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
Definition of elegy
Noun
  • Take The Music Lesson, a study of a young woman playing the virginal, closely watched by a gentleman, which Graham-Dixon reads as a depiction of Collegiants chastely performing and singing psalms.
    — Clare Bucknell, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
  • Over the course of Gregory Orr’s long career, his poems have become increasingly incantatory, more and more like chants or psalms, repeating, reformulating, reaching for the edges of the same rich metaphors.
    — Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
Definition of psalm
Noun
  • The Spiritual Sound Marc-André Hamelin, Found Objects / Sound Objects The Beths, Straight Line Was a Lie A year like no other, my 2025 in music was filled with joyous arias and madrigals of melancholy.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 29 Dec. 2025
  • This is a lovely fundraiser to assist in the preservation of the cemetery, and the day is filled with master gardeners offering advice, madrigals singing, an archaeology talk, refreshments, kids’ activities and lots of lovely spring plants for sale.
    — Janet Kusterer, Baltimore Sun, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of madrigal
Noun
  • The Greek epic, which follows Odysseus on his perilous 10-year journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, is a foundational work in Western literature.
    — Saba Hamedy, NBC news, 8 July 2026
  • The sword-and-sandals epic is projected to soar as high as $120 million at the box office for its opening weekend, which would be the biggest start of Nolan's career for a non-franchise film.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Definition of epic

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Cite this Entry

“Pastoral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pastoral. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pastoral

Nglish: Translation of pastoral for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pastoral

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