picturesque

adjective

pic·tur·esque ˌpik-chə-ˈresk

Synonyms of picturesque

: resembling a picture : suggesting a painted scene

: charming or quaint in appearance

: evoking mental images : vivid

picturesquely adverb

picturesqueness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for picturesque

graphic, vivid, picturesque mean giving a clear visual impression in words.

graphic stresses the evoking of a clear lifelike picture.

a graphic account of combat

vivid suggests an impressing on the mind of the vigorous aliveness of something.

a vivid re-creation of an exciting event

picturesque suggests the presentation of a striking or effective picture composed of features notable for their distinctness and charm.

a picturesque account of his travels

Examples of picturesque in a Sentence

The view of the mountains was very picturesque. wrote a picturesque tale of their journey across the country

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Meanwhile, those in Boulder are eager to see if Sanders can replicate the fervor of the first two years of his tenure, when visitors flooded the picturesque Pearl Street Mall. — Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Set on a picturesque Japanese island, the series follows Karin Shirahama, a strawberry farmer who pours everything into her land, and Lee Yubin, a city dweller whose fortunes have taken a sharp turn for the worse. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Amsterdam is a city of water, but not all of that water comes in the picturesque form of a canal. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 On a recent swampy day in July, a lone tourist was posing for a photo in front of one of the historic townhouses along Columbia Heights, the most picturesque street in Brooklyn’s most picturesque neighborhood. — Bridget Read, Curbed, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for picturesque

Word History

Etymology

French & Italian; French pittoresque, from Italian pittoresco, from pittore painter, from Latin pictor, from pingere

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of picturesque was in 1705

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

picture signal

picturesque

picture tube

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Picturesque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picturesque. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

picturesque

adjective

pic·tur·esque ˌpik-chə-ˈresk

: resembling or suitable for a painted picture

a picturesque landscape

: charming, quaint

picturesque customs

: calling forth a striking mental picture

a picturesque story

picturesquely adverb

picturesqueness noun

picturesque

adjective

Synonyms of picturesque

Examples of picturesque in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on picturesque

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

matriculate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes