variants
or less commonly idyl
1
a
: a simple descriptive work in poetry or prose that deals with rustic life or pastoral scenes or suggests a mood of peace and contentment
b
: a narrative poem (such as Tennyson's Idylls of the King) treating an epic, romantic, or tragic theme
2
a
: a lighthearted carefree episode that is a fit subject for an idyll
b
: a romantic interlude
Synonyms
Examples of idyll in a Sentence
her year as a vineyard worker in the south of France was not the idyll that she had expected it to be
Recent Examples on the Web
Workers of the World, Take PTO! Vacations in the Soviet Union were hardly idylls spent with one’s dearest.
—
JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
In the final episode of season three, the Queen and Lady Danbury can be seen playing a particularly tense game of chess in the 18th-century idyll’s high-ceilinged, elaborately painted saloon.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 18 June 2024
Classical liberals put their faith in historical progress; neoliberals, ironically, hoped to recover a past idyll.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2019
Rusty is practicing curveballs with his son, Kyle, when his all-American idyll is interrupted by a call from Raymond, who delivers the news that one Carolyn Polhemus has been murdered.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for idyll 
JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
In the final episode of season three, the Queen and Lady Danbury can be seen playing a particularly tense game of chess in the 18th-century idyll’s high-ceilinged, elaborately painted saloon.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 18 June 2024
Classical liberals put their faith in historical progress; neoliberals, ironically, hoped to recover a past idyll.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2019
Rusty is practicing curveballs with his son, Kyle, when his all-American idyll is interrupted by a call from Raymond, who delivers the news that one Carolyn Polhemus has been murdered.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for idyll
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'idyll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near idyll
Cite this Entry
“Idyll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idyll. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
idyll
noun
variants
also idyl
1
: a simple poetic or prose work that describes peaceful country life
2
: a scene or event one might write an idyll about
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