idyll

noun

ˈī-dᵊl 

 British usually  ˈi-(ˌ)dil

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

Synonyms

• binge
• fling
• frisk
• frolic
• gambol
• lark
• ploy
• revel
• rollick
• romp
• spree

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

Each had an alfresco dining area and a view over the Lago di Burano Nature Reserve wetlands to the line of dunes that separates this coastal idyll from the beach. —Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025

The idyll was hemmed in by immaculate office buildings housing high-profile Hollywood and tech tenants including Amazon, Oracle and AMC Networks. —Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025

Houses have always been haunted, but, whereas poltergeists of yore troubled the suburban idyll of white America, in these shows the scariest spectre is a disappearing profit margin. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025

This sense of place is what Marsan brings to Paris - not as countryside idyll or nostalgia, but as a living tradition worthy of an elevated fine dining status. —Paul Caputo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin idyllium, from Greek eidyllion, from diminutive of eidos form; akin to Greek idein to see — more at wit

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for idyll

• bridal
• bridle
• idle
• idol
• seidel
• sidle
• tidal
• widal
• apsidal
• subtidal
• fratricidal
• fungicidal

Kids Definition

idyll

noun

variants also idyl

ˈīd-ᵊl 

1

: a simple poetic or prose work that describes peaceful country life

2

: a scene or event one might write an idyll about