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

The private, 1,800-square-foot home sat on one acre of land, until Dafoe purchased the adjacent 4.7 acres, transforming the modest property into a bucolic estate. —Claudia Williams, Architectural Digest, 25 Dec. 2024

Farmington, Pennsylvania is a bucolic village about a 90-minute drive south of Pittsburgh. —Brad Japhe, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024

The bucolic scene in Wittmann, an unincorporated community in Maricopa County, sits about an hour away northwest of downtown Phoenix, and right outside the city limits from Surprise. —Shawn Raymundo, The Arizona Republic, 7 Nov. 2024

The musician and actor announced her engagement to Benny Blanco with a requisite Instagram carousel, featuring a manicured hand, a bucolic picnic set-up littered with Taco Bell detritus and champagne bottles, and a starry smile. —Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 12 Dec. 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