bucolic

adjective bu·col·ic \ byü-ˈkä-lik \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of bucolic

1 : of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral

2 a : relating to or typical of rural life

b : idyllic

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bucolically

play \-li-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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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 of bucolic from the Web

Photo: Jasmine Van Hevel for The Wall Street Journal Karin de Ceuninck, 57, an Ixelles native, has long had her eye on Brugmann’s bucolic boulevard lined with chestnut trees and imposing townhouses.

— j.s. marcus, WSJ, "Brussels’ Hip Ixelles District Lures Affluent New Admirers," 28 Mar. 2018
Their train ride departed from London’s Victoria station, meandered through bucolic pastures, and returned to the capital four hours later.

— elise taylor, Vogue, "Minnie Mortimer’s Old-World Train Journey Through the English Countryside," 17 Mar. 2018
The bucolic land of Peter is now overrun with flashy Londoners weekending in their pristine Land Rovers.

— joey morona, cleveland.com, "From redheads to a bagel: All the new emoji coming to iOS, Android this year," 8 Feb. 2018
Apricots, owned by Ann Howard and Joe Howard Jr., opened in 1983 and sits along Route 4 with bucolic seating along the Farmington River.

— jordan otero sisson, Courant Community, "Apricots Equipment Auctioned Off; Wood-n-Tap To Move In," 21 Mar. 2018
Thompson, executive director of the quasi-governmental Economic Development Commission in Somerset, said a bridge to the state’s southernmost county could help balance its bucolic appeal with an influx of new residents and visitors.

— colin campbell, Washington Post, "Hope and opposition emerge as Maryland scouts locations for a new Chesapeake Bay Bridge," 19 Mar. 2018
And that’s not to mention a hyperactive year-round cultural calendar that, buoyed by the nearby colleges and universities, defies the bucolic landscape.

— jon gorey, BostonGlobe.com, "Rain or shine, Pioneer Valley in Western Mass. is great for a quick getaway," 16 Mar. 2018
Thompson, executive director of the quasi-governmental Economic Development Commission in Somerset, said a bridge to the state’s southernmost county could help balance its bucolic appeal with an influx of new residents and visitors.

— colin campbell, baltimoresun.com, "As Maryland scouts locations for new Chesapeake Bay Bridge, hope and opposition emerge," 16 Mar. 2018
For an agrarian society like England, the factory generated a wistfulness for the bucolic agricultural past.

— jennifer szalai, New York Times, "In ‘Behemoth,’ Manufacturing Still Looms Large," 7 Mar. 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.

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."

Origin and Etymology of bucolic

Latin bucolicus, from Greek boukolikos, from boukolos cowherd, from bous head of cattle + -kolos (akin to Latin colere to cultivate) — more at cow, wheel

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1609

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