bucolic

adjective

bu·col·ic byü-ˈkä-lik

Synonyms of bucolic

: of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral

: relating to or typical of rural life

: 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."

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

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Courtesy of Visit California The Golden Gate Bridge has been a San Francisco symbol since its completion in 1937, connecting San Francisco’s bustle with the charmingly bucolic villages north of the bay. —Visit California, AFAR Media, 12 Mar. 2025 With the bucolic backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains as their playground, the sisters spent their days disappearing into the forest and meandering along creeks. —Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025 Yes, this was a place to ride out the pandemic, then a bucolic backdrop for the early days of her now four-year-old daughter Khai’s life. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2025 Browse According to Category: Berkshires Hotels | Private Homes City: Richmond, Massachusetts Set upon a 20-acre bucolic hillside property, this restored Georgian-Federalist residence transports you to yesteryear—to 1792 to be exact. —Laura Itzkowitz, Architectural Digest, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bucolic

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of bucolic was circa 1609

See more words from the same year