Definition of BUCOLIC

Synonyms & Antonyms for bucolic

Synonyms

Antonyms

The Origin of Bucolic Is "Utterly" Quaint

We get bucolic from the Latin word bucolicus, which is ultimately from the Greek word boukolos, meaning "cowherd." When bucolic was first used in English in the early 17th century, it meant "pastoral" in a narrow sense - that is, it referred to things related to shepherds or herdsmen and in particular to pastoral poetry. Later in the 19th century, it was applied more broadly to things rural or rustic. Bucolic has also been occasionally used as a noun meaning "a pastoral poem" or "a bucolic person."

Examples of bucolic in a Sentence

Pine Ridge … . Its generic blandness and vaguely bucolic quality anticipated similar names—the Oak Parks and River Groves and Lake Forests and Chestnut Hills … — Ian Frazier, On the Rez, 2000 … the massive population growth has transformed a collection of bucolic villages and mill towns into a chain of strip-mall suburbs. — Jonathan Cohn, New Republic, 7 Feb. 2000 … Intel gives its generations of microprocessors such bucolic code names as Deschutes, Tillamook, and Katmai but then rolls them out with names that rival those of popes and medieval heads of state: Pentium the III, Celeron the Meek, and Xeon the Magnificent. — Jake Kirchner, PC Magazine, 25 May 1999 … the North Shore commuter train scuds through bucolic landscape for a while, the rocks and trees permitting glimpses of Appleton Farms … — John Updike, New England Monthly, October 1989 a bucolic region where farms are still common

Recent Examples on the Web

The facilities housing these children range from bucolic to jail-like. — Garance Burke, The Seattle Times, "AP Investigation: Migrant kids held in mass shelters," 19 Dec. 2018 But the superb food shouldn’t come as a surprise: Korean Air maintains its own farm on bucolic Jeju Island, ensuring that everything served on board is humanely raised and organically grown. — Condé Nast Traveler, "The Best International Airlines: 2018 Readers' Choice Awards," 9 Oct. 2018 These days, the prestige has drifted south of the river to the Marignolle, Galluzzo and Arcetri areas, which bring the bucolic Chianti landscape inside the city limits and provide a shorter route to Tuscan beaches some 70 miles away. — J.s. Marcus, WSJ, "In a Struggling Italy, Florence Homes Enjoy a New Renaissance," 28 Nov. 2018 The Blue Ribbon Suite, on a corner, offers expansive views of the bucolic Virginia landscape and a stone terrace—the perfect perch for a glass of local wine. — Laura Ratliff, Condé Nast Traveler, "3 Best Day Trips from Washington, D.C.," 24 July 2018 Hair accessories—and stylized mane moments—abounded on Instagram this week, and the best among them ranged from quirky to downright bucolic. — Calin Van Paris, Vogue, "The Best Beauty Instagrams of the Week: Kylie Jenner Has a Marilyn Moment (and More!)," 2 Dec. 2018 Home is a compound of 19th-century farmhouses set on several bucolic acres of olive trees on a hill between Florence and Impruneta, which is shared with Riccardo’s wife, Daniela, and Francesco’s sister, Elena. — Maria Shollenbarger, ELLE Decor, "An Italian Design Firm Transforms Discreet-but-Luxe Kitchens with a Timeless Florentine Aesthetic," 18 Oct. 2018 But this impoverishment is countered by the area’s bucolic beauty, with sheep grazing among scraggly almond and pear trees and lush citrus groves lining the riverbanks. — Kyre Chenven, Condé Nast Traveler, "For Sardinia’s Wild Side, Head to Sulcis," 12 Oct. 2018 And so in this bucolic setting, the self-driving revolution seems far off. — Tamara Warren, The Verge, "Monterey Car Week is where the past and future of automobiles collide," 29 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bucolic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.