picturesque

adjective

pic·​tur·​esque ˌpik-chə-ˈresk 

1

a

: resembling a picture : suggesting a painted scene

b

: charming or quaint in appearance

2

: evoking mental images : vivid

picturesquely adverb

picturesqueness noun

Synonyms of picturesque

• vivid
• graphic
• descriptive

Choose the Right Synonym for picturesque

graphic, vivid, picturesque mean giving a clear visual impression in words.

graphic stresses the evoking of a clear lifelike picture.

a graphic account of combat

vivid suggests an impressing on the mind of the vigorous aliveness of something.

a vivid re-creation of an exciting event

picturesque suggests the presentation of a striking or effective picture composed of features notable for their distinctness and charm.

a picturesque account of his travels

Examples of picturesque in a Sentence

The view of the mountains was very picturesque.

wrote a picturesque tale of their journey across the country

Recent Examples on the Web

Barely a month after his official WWE main roster debut, Page nearly defeated Penta to capture the Intercontinental Championship only for Penta to hit a picturesque Penta Driver to cap off a stellar title bout and retain his championship. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

Head to the picturesque town of Appenzell in northeast Switzerland. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026

Plus, of course the picturesque backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 24 May 2026

What is usually a picturesque view of the National Mall has been reduced to a work zone as the renovations continue. —Mike Stunson, USA Today, 20 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

French & Italian; French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco, from pittore painter, from Latin pictor, from pingere

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

picturesque

adjective

pic·​tur·​esque ˌpik-chə-ˈresk 

1

a

: resembling or suitable for a painted picture

a picturesque landscape

b

: charming, quaint

picturesque customs

2

: calling forth a striking mental picture

a picturesque story

picturesquely adverb

picturesqueness noun