Meanings
bucolic1
comparative more bucolic · superlative most bucolic
- 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 71Before 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 2025The 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 - 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 - 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
Synonyms & antonyms
adjective(used with regard to idealized country life) idyllically rustic
adjectiverelating to shepherds or herdsmen or devoted to raising sheep or cattle
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
bucolic · adjective
- Ancient Greekβουκολικός“rustic, pastoral; meter used by pastoral poets”
- Latinbūcolicus
- Englishbucolic
PIE word *gʷṓws Borrowed from Latin būcolicus, from Ancient Greek βουκολικός (boukolikós, “rustic, pastoral; meter used by pastoral poets”, literally “pertaining to cowherds”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →bucolic · noun
- Latinbūcolicum
- Englishbucolic
From Latin būcolicum, neuter substantive of būcolicus.
More words from Latin
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
Cite this entry
bucolic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bucolic
“bucolic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bucolic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bucolic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bucolic.
Source: bucolic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.