picturesque
Americanadjective
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visually charming or quaint, as if resembling or suitable for a painting.
a picturesque fishing village.
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(of writing, speech, etc.) strikingly graphic or vivid; creating detailed mental images.
a picturesque description of the Brazilian jungle.
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having pleasing or interesting qualities; strikingly effective in appearance.
a picturesque hat.
adjective
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visually pleasing, esp in being striking or vivid
a picturesque view
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having a striking or colourful character, nature, etc
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(of language) graphic; vivid
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- picturesquely adverb
- picturesqueness noun
- unpicturesque adjective
- unpicturesquely adverb
- unpicturesqueness noun
Etymology
Origin of picturesque
First recorded in 1695–1705; from French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco ( pittor(e) painter 1 + -esco -esque ), with assimilation to picture
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As seen in the exhibition, his Conté crayon drawings from these months informed his paintings, which pointedly eschewed any hint of the picturesque and also of Impressionist painting.
Police said the helicopter was operated by Airborne Aviation, a company whose website advertises "a doors-off thrill seekers adventure tour" of the picturesque island's waterfalls, canyons, and beaches.
From BBC
The picturesque Scottish university, once the secret of private-school students from the East Coast, now boasts a student body that is about 20% American.
Now a picturesque destination for tourists, Prague has been an imperial capital, a flashpoint in religious wars and the site of communist crackdowns.
For a picturesque date that feels like you’ve been plopped onto a movie set, consider the Gondola Getaway in Long Beach.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
