picturesque

[ pik-chuh-resk ]

adjective

1. visually charming or quaint, as if resembling or suitable for a painting:

   a picturesque fishing village.

2. (of writing, speech, etc.) strikingly graphic or vivid; creating detailed mental images:

   a picturesque description of the Brazilian jungle.

3. having pleasing or interesting qualities; strikingly effective in appearance:

   a picturesque hat.

picturesque

/ ˌpɪktʃəˈrɛsk /

adjective

1. visually pleasing, esp in being striking or vivid

   a picturesque view

2. having a striking or colourful character, nature, etc
3. (of language) graphic; vivid

Derived Forms

• ˌpicturˈesquely, adverb
• ˌpicturˈesqueness, noun

Other Words From

• pictur·esquely adverb
• pictur·esqueness noun
• unpic·tur·esque adjective
• unpic·tur·esquely adverb
• unpic·tur·esqueness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of picturesque¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; from French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco ( pittor(e) painter ¹ + -esco -esque ), with assimilation to picture

Word History and Origins

Origin of picturesque¹

C18: from French pittoresque (but also influenced by picture ), from Italian pittoresco, from pittore painter, from Latin pictor

Synonym Study

Picturesque, graphic, vivid apply to descriptions that produce a strong, especially a visual, impression. Picturesque is a less precise term than the other two. A picturesque account, though striking and interesting, may be inaccurate or may reflect personal ideas: He called the landscape picturesque. A graphic account is more objective and factual: it produces a clear, definite impression, and carries conviction. A vivid account is told with liveliness and intenseness; the description is so interesting, or even exciting, that the reader or hearer may be emotionally stirred.

Example Sentences

The Oakland recall against Thao, meanwhile, was heavily funded by hedge fund executive Philip Dreyfuss, who lives in Piedmont, a picturesque city surrounded by Oakland’s borders.

From Los Angeles Times

A festival in Mozart’s picturesque birthplace at the foot of the Austrian Alps, a city that attracts hordes of summer tourists along with well-heeled audiences in formal dress, may not exactly suit L.A.

From Los Angeles Times

“She said YES,” White wrote with an Instagram carousel of photos from the picturesque proposal.

From Los Angeles Times

If low tide is your friend, hike past picturesque rocky points, looking for tide pools full of sea creatures along the way; if not, climb the stairs just before Crescent Bay to the road and take the first right, cut through Heisler Park, where, depending on the time of year, you’ll find flower gardens exploding with roses, birds of paradise and deep blue Pride of Madeira, then take the stairs at the end to Laguna Beach.

From Los Angeles Times

Where to eat: Make your way down the picturesque pier at sunset and request a patio table at the Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar, where burgers, poke bowls and local Left Coast amber lagers satisfy big appetites.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beautiful
• charming
• colorful
• pleasant
• quaint
• scenic