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Synonyms

scenery

American  
[see-nuh-ree] / ˈsi nə ri /

noun

sceneries plural
  1. the general appearance of a place; the aggregate of features that give character to a landscape.

    Synonyms:
    view, terrain
  2. hangings, draperies, structures, etc., used on a stage to represent a locale or furnish decorative background.


idioms

  1. chew the scenery, to act melodramatically; overact.

scenery British  
/ ˈsiːnərɪ /

noun

  1. the natural features of a landscape

  2. theatre the painted backcloths, stage structures, etc, used to represent a location in a theatre or studio

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of scenery

First recorded in 1740–50; scene + -ery

Explanation

Scenery is a word for how a place looks, especially a beautiful, outdoorsy place. Also, scenery is fake background in a play. If you go to a place with mountains, and beautiful trees, and gorgeous skies, then it's got great scenery. Scenery is the stuff you can look at outside. If a place is plain, ugly, or desolate, you might say, "Not much scenery." Also, painters and set designers create scenery for plays. In theater, scenery could represent anything: buildings, trees, or the inside of a house. If a play has a lot of different settings, then it needs a lot of scenery.

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Vocabulary lists containing scenery

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.

Scenery, props and half the costumes were donated by the Anaheim-based, family-run stage company 3D Theatricals, and the designers waived their fees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

The teenagers died at the Enyobeni Tavern in East London’s Scenery Park township in the early hours of June 26.

From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2022

Mournful hymns were sung by a large choir as 19 coffins were carried into a large tent where the service is being held in East London’s Scenery Park township.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 6, 2022

The tavern, a two-storey building, sits amid residential properties in a densely populated area of East London's Scenery Park township.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2022

Many people will suppose that for several ideas in the chapters on Landscape I was indebted to Humboldt's Kosmos, and Howitt's Rural Scenery.

From Modern Painters. Vol. III (of V) Containing Part IV. Of Many Things by Ruskin, John

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