bucolic

bu·col·ic
B3U1C3O1L1I1C3
UK/bjuːˈkɒlɪk/US/bjuˈkɑlɪk/

adjective

Rustic, pastoral, country-styled.

“Their traditional clothing and simple way of life reflected their bucolic roots as a community of shepherds and farmers.”

UncommonScrabble 13

Meanings

bucolic1

adjectivebucolic (comparative more bucolic, superlative most bucolic)

comparative more bucolic · superlative most bucolic

  1. Rustic, pastoral, country-styled.

    The countryside was filled with charming, bucolic scenery, complete with rolling hills, fields of wildflowers, and quaint farmhouses.

    3 more examples

    A couple of years later the Metropolitan had reached its own most northerly point, Verney Junction, which was as bucolic as it sounds.

    2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 71

    Before the area was a tech epicenter, it was a bucolic land of fruit orchards.

    2025 August 4, Sheera Frenkel, “How Tech Firms Like Google and Meta Are Embracing the Military”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2025

    The setting for this big fight over a little bird is bucolic: A well-preserved 18th-century barn, white with green doors, standing on the edge of a sprawling saltmarsh in Rye.

    2026 April 15, Todd Bookman, “Whose barn is it, anyways? Swallows in Rye face eviction”, in New Hampshire Public Radio, archived from the original on 18 Apr 2026
  2. Relating to the pleasant aspects of rustic country life.

    The cozy bed and breakfast was located in a picturesque, bucolic setting, offering guests a chance to escape the city and enjoy the simple pleasures of the countryside.

    1 more example

    In a sense, Mr. Maillier is living the classic French dream – working the land in the bucolic countryside, feeding his children good food, and keeping France’s gastronomic heritage alive.

    2025 February 10, Colette Davidson, “Farming in France is on the decline. Who will feed the French?”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 17 Mar 2025
  3. Pertaining to herdsmen or peasants.

    Their traditional clothing and simple way of life reflected their bucolic roots as a community of shepherds and farmers.

    1 more example

    Here we consider a bucolic example.

    1992, Robert Gibbons, A Primer in Game Theory, Prentice-Hall, page 27

bucolic2

nounbucolic (plural bucolics)

plural bucolics

Synonyms & antonyms

adjective(used with regard to idealized country life) idyllically rustic

adjectiverelating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle

Similar

nouna country person

Broader

nouna short poem descriptive of rural or pastoral life

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

bucolic · adjective

  1. Ancient Greekβουκολικός“rustic, pastoral; meter used by pastoral poets”
  2. Latinbūcolicus
  3. Englishbucolic

PIE word *gʷṓws Borrowed from Latin būcolicus, from Ancient Greek βουκολικός (boukolikós, “rustic, pastoral; meter used by pastoral poets”, literally “pertaining to cowherds”).

Full word history & related roots →

bucolic · noun

  1. Latinbūcolicum
  2. Englishbucolic

From Latin būcolicum, neuter substantive of būcolicus.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek βουκολικός, βουκολικός
  • βουκολικός (boukolikós)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • βουκολικός (boukolikós)pertaining to herdsmen or peasants
Bulgarian пасторален, провинциален
  • пасторален (pastoralen)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • провинциален (provincialen)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • селски (selski)pertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • овчарски (ovčarski)pertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • овчар (ovčar)a rustic, peasant
  • селянин (seljanin)a rustic, peasant
Catalan bucòlic
  • bucòlicrustic, pastoral, country-styled
Dutch rustiek, landelijk
  • rustiekrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • landelijkrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • bucolischrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • pastoraalpertaining to herdsmen or peasants
French bucolique, pastoral
  • bucoliquerustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • pastoralpertaining to herdsmen or peasants
Greek βουκολικός, αγροτικός
  • βουκολικός (voukolikós)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • αγροτικός (agrotikós)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • ποιμενικός (poimenikós)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • βουκολικός (voukolikós)pertaining to herdsmen or peasants
Icelandic sveitalegur, sveita-
  • sveitalegurrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • sveita-rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • sveitalífs-rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • sveitasælu-rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • óheflaðurrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • grófgerðurrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • prests-rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • bóndalegurpertaining to herdsmen or peasants
Latin būcolicus, būcolicus
  • būcolicusrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • būcolicuspertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • būcolicuma pastoral poem
  • būcolicuma rustic, peasant
Polish bukolika
  • bukolikaa pastoral poem
Portuguese bucólico
  • bucólicorustic, pastoral, country-styled
Russian пасторальный, се́льский
  • пасторальный (pastoralʹnyj)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • се́льский (sélʹskij)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • се́льский (sélʹskij)pertaining to herdsmen or peasants
Scottish Gaelic bua-choilleag, bò-choilleag
  • bua-choilleaga pastoral poem
  • bò-choilleaga pastoral poem
  • coilleaga pastoral poem
Spanish bucólico
  • bucólicorustic, pastoral, country-styled
Swedish rustik, lantlig
  • rustikrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • lantligrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • bukoliskrustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • bukoliskpertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • lantligpertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • herde-pertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • bond-pertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • bondskpertaining to herdsmen or peasants
  • herdedikta pastoral poem
  • lantboa rustic, peasant
  • bondea rustic, peasant
Ukrainian буколічний, пасторальний
  • буколічний (bukoličnyj)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • пасторальний (pastoralʹnyj)rustic, pastoral, country-styled
  • сільський (silʹsʹkyj)rustic, pastoral, country-styled

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with bucolic

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

bucolic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bucolic

MLA

“bucolic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bucolic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bucolic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bucolic.

Source: bucolic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.