ukiyo-e

noun

uki·​yo-e ü-ˌkē-ō-ˈyā 

-ˈā

variants or less commonly ukiyo-ye

: a Japanese art movement that flourished from the 17th to the 19th century and produced paintings and prints depicting the everyday life and interests of the common people

also : the paintings and prints themselves

Examples of ukiyo-e in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The shop is known for its ukiyo-e, or Japanese woodblock, prints, as well as for its use of etching, aquatint, monotype, screen-printing, and digital hybrid methods. — News Desk, Artforum, 17 Sep. 2026

This is the place to go for Japanese art and artifacts, with a strong, 110,000-piece collection of paintings, tea ceremony ceramics, samurai swords and armor, kimonos, lacquerware, sculpture, ukiyo-e prints, and more. — Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2026

Inspired by a visit to Giverny, the village Claude Monet called home, Murakami explores ukiyo-e and Impressionism in 24 new paintings. — Evan Nicole Brown, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026

Not all ukiyo-e would have been so acceptable to the government. — Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese ukiyo-e genre picture, from ukiyo world, life + e picture

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ukiyo-e

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo