bucolic

adjective

bu·​col·​ic byü-ˈkä-lik 

1

: of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral

2

a

: relating to or typical of rural life

b

: idyllic

bucolically

byü-ˈkä-li-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

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 as an adjective 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."

Synonyms

• country
• pastoral
• rural
• rustic
• rustical

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

Nestled amid the outskirts of his bucolic hometown of Columbus, about an hour’s drive from Indianapolis, the luxe spread that was originally asking a substantial $30 million back in 2022 has now returned to the real estate track with a substantially lower $22.5 million price tag. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2024

Many travelers would fly into the airport in town then immediately move onto more bucolic, mountainous retreats in destinations like Vail, Aspen, and Telluride. —Chadner Navarro, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2024

Highway 101 becomes a winding, bucolic byway out here, hugging the shore for the grandest of road trips. —Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024

If a listen to Musgraves’s new album, Deeper Well, is anything to go by, Musgraves has been in a bucolic, yogurt-and-berries mood lately. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2024

Lush, green mountains and sprawling bucolic panoramas make this a destination for hiking, mountain biking, and paragliding. —Naomi Tomky, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Mar. 2024

The bright red barn and surrounding cornfield made a bucolic backdrop in the Wisconsin countryside. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024

After ambling through the knot of cobbled alleyways, walk the 1.5-mile stone rampart to see the picture-perfect town and its bucolic surroundings. —Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2024

To support it through shopping at one of L.A.’s most bucolic markets, simply take to the hills any Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

bucolic

adjective

bu·​col·​ic byü-ˈkäl-ik 

: pastoral entry 1 sense 1a, rural