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
Synonym Usage
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
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
Explanation
You could describe a particularly pretty scene as picturesque. But save it up for a view that's so gorgeous you'd love to have it framed on the wall as a painting. Picturesque is an adjective used to describe something with strikingly pleasing or vivid qualities — a scene so picture-perfect that you feel an impulse to reach for your camera or double check to make sure it's real. A view of the pristine shoreline on a summer’s day, a grandfather and grandson reading a book together, or a charming old farm cottage could all be called picturesque.
Vocabulary lists containing picturesque
Words to Describe a Place
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"Called Out" by Barbara Kingsolver
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"Tested by a Picturesque Dystopia"
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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.
The stretch of track along the San Clemente shoreline has long offered picturesque views of sandy beaches and lapping ocean waves for passengers traveling between Los Angeles and San Diego.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The picturesque Lac des Brenets between France and Switzerland has dried up after a record-breaking hot summer, leaving locals crying out for help to save the lake.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
The Cotswolds region, with its rolling hills, picturesque villages and posh schools, has reportedly attracted Harry and Meghan and a flurry of American buyers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
One evening, poring through the picturesque archives at the Yale Club while researching her monograph on memory and mind palace theory, Béatrice stumbles upon a curious audiotape.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
There are street lamps but hardly any lights on in the many, many windows that looked so picturesque just a little while before.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
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.
