Make Your Point: IDYLLIC

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pronounce IDYLLIC:

eye DILL ick

connect this word to others:

Idyllic places are peaceful; tranquil; serene; pastoral; b___lic (like life out in the country); or h___yon (like mythic sea birds).

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

The word "idyll" traces back through Latin to the Greek eidyllion, which meant "little picture" or, more figuratively, "a little poem about life in the country."

In English, an idyll can still be a pastoral poem: one that celebrates nature, like Tennyson's "The Eagle." (It's super-short! Enjoy!)

More loosely, an idyll is a place or a situation that seems appropriate for a poem about peace or nature. So, something idyllic is happy and peaceful, as if it belongs out in the country, where life is serene and simple.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Adjective: "an idyllic forest," "our idyllic childhood."

Other forms:

The adverb is "idyllically," as in "Tarpon Springs is idyllically charming."

The noun for a happy, peaceful place in nature is "idyll," pronounced "EYE dull." Hear it here. It's the countable kind of noun, as in "We explored various Floridian idylls, like Tarpon Springs."

And the noun for the quality of a place being happy, peaceful, and full of nature is "idyllism" or "idyllicism" (take your pick). "Postcards show the idyllicism of Tarpon Springs."

how to use it:

"Idyllic" is a common, formal word with a positive tone.

We most often use it to describe places, visions, events, experiences, and memories. For example, you might talk about idyllic farms, beaches, mountains, hayrides, or weddings.

Sometimes we use "idyllic" to describe time periods, like idyllic summer afternoons or the idyllic days of your childhood.

Rarely, we get even more abstract and talk about idyllic music, marriages, or even people: "He's idyllic, always daydreaming."

We can even use "idyllic" for sarcasm. Here's D. Watkins: "My wife and I work extremely hard, easily clocking 80-plus hours a week — no idyllic American 40-hour work week for us."

examples:

"If I worked hard, eventually we could move to one of those idyllic little villages nestled up alongside Lake Michigan, unsullied by the coal smoke."
— Aden Polydoros, The City Beautiful, 2021

"We all need Elmo right now. We've never stopped needing him. How can we get to 'Sesame Street' — the idyllic, kind world of our past and hopefully our future? We can be like Elmo."
— Gabriella Ferrigine, Salon, 3 February 2024

has this page helped you understand "idyllic"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "idyllic" without saying "tranquil" or "picturesque."

try it out:

The most idyllic place I've ever visited is probably the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden in Hilo, where we walked downhill through a dense and quiet jungle, listened to tiny waterfalls, and eventually reached the roar of the brilliantly blue Pacific.

How about you? Talk about the most idyllic place you've visited, or the most idyllic place you hope to visit one day.

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is Make Your Point Before & After!

I'll give you a clue, and you give me a verbal mashup including at least one word or phrase we've studied before.

For example, if I give you "It's the kind of theatrical stage setting that encourages the actors to radically overact," then you give me "mise en scenery chewing," a mashup of "mise en scene" and "scenery chewing."

Try this one today: It's the jargon used by those of us who love arranging small objects at ninety degrees to each other, creating tidy little flat lays.

To reveal the first two hints, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: The number of words in this Before & After is... one.

Hint 2: The first word in this Before & After is... Well, that would give it away! Here's the first letter: silent K.

Hint 3: Use this term.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. One opposite of IDYLLIC is

A. SARCASTIC.
B. TURBULENT.
C. CONTROVERSIAL.

2. Camp Sequoya was idyllic, with _____.

A. constant laughter and goofy pranks
B. quiet stables, shady hills, and a sparkling lake
C. fierce competition for the highest achievements in canoeing, sailing, and water skiing

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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Make Your Point > Archived Issues > IDYLLIC

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