variants
or less commonly idyl
1
a
: a simple descriptive work in poetry or prose that deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes or suggests a mood of peace and contentment
b
: a narrative poem (such as Tennyson's Idylls of the King) treating an epic, romantic, or tragic theme
2
a
: a lighthearted carefree episode that is a fit subject for an idyll
b
: a romantic interlude
Examples of idyll in a Sentence
her year as a vineyard worker in the south of France was not the idyll that she had expected it to be
Recent Examples on the Web
The stately stone manor house at the heart of the private idyll was built around the turn of the 20th century for the Sulzberger family, the longtime publishers of The New York Times.
—
Mark David, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2026
The warm reception of that volume, the vibrant intellectual and social life of Cambridge, and above all the friendship with Hallam conspired to make Tennyson’s university years something of an idyll.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
But while Provo has become developed, its neighbors, Parrish assured me, remain timeless idylls, their empty interiors encircled by endless beaches fringed with casuarina trees.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Peppered with archival drawings of The Sea Ranch, quotations from the utopian community’s founding architects, and evocative family photographs, the document eloquently illuminates the Matases’ vision for their seaside idyll.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idyll
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Mark David, Robb Report, 18 Feb. 2026
The warm reception of that volume, the vibrant intellectual and social life of Cambridge, and above all the friendship with Hallam conspired to make Tennyson’s university years something of an idyll.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
But while Provo has become developed, its neighbors, Parrish assured me, remain timeless idylls, their empty interiors encircled by endless beaches fringed with casuarina trees.
—Henry Wismayer, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026
Peppered with archival drawings of The Sea Ranch, quotations from the utopian community’s founding architects, and evocative family photographs, the document eloquently illuminates the Matases’ vision for their seaside idyll.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idyll
Cite this Entry
“Idyll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idyll. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idyll
noun
variants
also idyl
1
: a simple poetic or prose work that describes peaceful country life
2
: a scene or event one might write an idyll about
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