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

One of bucolic enclaves most prestigious estates belonged to American architect Thomas Hastings, who designed and built the imposing residence at 10 Hastings Road for himself. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2024

The earliest American advertisements for milk, from the 1840s, emphasized its bucolic origins and uncontaminated contents, using imagery of rolling hills and words such as wholesome, fresh, and unadulterated. —Ellen Cushing, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2024

But its bucolic setting is designed to be a Rural Anywhere, one in which the neighbors know each other but not closely, and yet can come together when their animals start acting strange. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024

Outside the glass walls, diners can observe the bucolic farm setting with Autumnal foliage and rows of the season’s crop harvest. —Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes, 9 Oct. 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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

bucolic

adjective

bu·​col·​ic byü-ˈkäl-ik 

: pastoral entry 1 sense 1a, rural