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
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
This Robinson Crusoe-esque idyll delivers so much more than the standard palm tree escapism, with a 39-room wellness complex that's a match for anywhere in Europe or Asia.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 June 2026
This pre-summer idyll could not have been more different from the setting in which the Quartet was first heard.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Rescuing utopian idyll from dystopian reality, Koreeda determines that humanity is too fragile to forfeit its defining qualities to a mechanical species; that our only viable function in an artificial tomorrow is as the eternal caretakers of memory and imagination.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
These are not pretty, chintzy designs referencing a pastoral idyll.
—
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for idyll
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Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 June 2026
This pre-summer idyll could not have been more different from the setting in which the Quartet was first heard.
—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Rescuing utopian idyll from dystopian reality, Koreeda determines that humanity is too fragile to forfeit its defining qualities to a mechanical species; that our only viable function in an artificial tomorrow is as the eternal caretakers of memory and imagination.
—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
These are not pretty, chintzy designs referencing a pastoral idyll.
—
Literary Hub,
11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for idyll
Cite this Entry
“Idyll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/idyll. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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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