picturesque

picturesque — adjective

1. beautiful enough to seem like a painting, especially because of charming old bui

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

beautiful enough to seem like a painting, especially because of charming old buildings, streets, or natural details; it can also describe words that create a clear, attractive scene in the mind.

Example

We ate lunch beside a picturesque harbor full of blue fishing boats.

collocation: picturesque harbor

At sunset, the hill village looked picturesque beside the old stone church.

pattern: look + picturesque

Common collocations
  • picturesque village
  • picturesque harbor
  • picturesque square
  • picturesque setting
  • picturesque language
Synonyms
  • scenic

    focuses on beautiful views in general, without the same old-world or postcard feeling

  • quaint

    stresses small old-fashioned details and can sound slightly amused

  • charming

    broader and warmer; can describe people or situations, not only visual scenes

  • idyllic

    suggests peaceful perfection, often more ideal than picturesque

Antonyms
  • ugly

    unpleasant to look at

  • drab

    dull and lacking color or interest

  • plain

    simple in appearance, without striking beauty

Grammar Patterns

picturesque + noun

look/seem + picturesque

picturesque language

Usage Note

Most often modifies places, streets, villages, harbors, and views. It usually suggests beauty with small old or traditional details, not the sleek look of something modern. It can also be extended to writing or speech that helps the listener or reader see a scene clearly.

Common Mistakes

The village is very picture.
The village is very picturesque.
use the adjective picturesque, not the noun picture, to describe scenery.
It was a picturesque glass office tower.
It was a striking glass office tower.
picturesque usually suggests scene-like beauty with charming, often older details.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Picturesque focuses on visual beauty that feels fit for a painting or postcard. It is especially common for villages, harbors, streets, and landscapes with attractive old details. Scenic is broader and more neutral: a scenic road may have beautiful views, but it does not need to feel charming or old-fashioned. Quaint adds a stronger sense of small, old details and can sound slightly amused. Charming is wider, since a person, cafe, or conversation can be charming even if it is not visually striking. Idyllic suggests peaceful perfection and a life free from trouble. A fishing harbor with colorful boats may be picturesque; a mountain drive may be scenic; a tiny tea shop may be quaint; a quiet farm by the lake may seem idyllic.

picturesque ↗scenic ↗quaint ↗charming ↗idyllic

Common collocations

Nouns

  • picturesque village
  • picturesque harbor
  • picturesque street
  • picturesque town
  • picturesque setting
  • picturesque route

Adverbs

  • highly picturesque
  • quite picturesque
  • particularly picturesque

Phrases

  • a picturesque little village
  • in a picturesque setting
  • look picturesque in the evening

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Picturesque came into English from French pittoresque in the 1700s. The French word came from Italian pittoresco, meaning "in the manner of a painter", and it ultimately belongs to the Latin word family connected with painting. The earliest English use was for views that looked worthy of being painted, which is why the word still suggests beauty that feels like a picture.