noun
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the natural features of a landscape
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theatre the painted backcloths, stage structures, etc, used to represent a location in a theatre or studio
Etymology
Origin of scenery
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.
Vocabulary lists containing scenery
List 8
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Plot Development
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"Grand Canyon Speech"
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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.
Shortly after the latest separation, Ballerini—who had been living in Nashville, Tenn., at the time—chose to relocate for a change of scenery.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
Though the fictional “Cars” and Cars Land community of Radiator Springs has no single inspiration, it echoes the scenery and history of several small towns between Tulsa, Okla., and Kingman, Ariz., including Tucumcari, N.M.,
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
She added: "For example, we don't know how big a role wildlife features like bird song or scenery play compared to more recreational activities like sea swimming or opportunities to socialise."
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
In these big games, he doesn’t just chew the scenery, he orders it rare and asks for seconds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Some people look at pictures of animals and scenery and feel an overwhelming sense of joy.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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.
