What does picturesque mean?
Word: Picturesque
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Picturesque means very pretty and pleasant to look at, often in an old-fashioned or natural way.
Synonyms: pretty, charming, scenic
Antonyms: unattractive
How do you spell picturesque?
Syllables: pic - tur - esque
Tricky part: The last sound is like esk, but it is spelt esque, with a q, a u and a silent e.
Watch out for: picturesk, picturesqe
Memory tip: The ending is French in style, and French likes to write the k sound as qu and then finish with a silent e.
Picturesque in a sentence
Example 1: Munnar's tea gardens look picturesque in the morning mist.
Example 2: We stayed in a picturesque cottage beside a stream.
Example 3: The old town, with its narrow lanes and painted doors, is very picturesque.
Fun Fact
In the 1700s, tourists hunting for picturesque views in Britain carried a small tinted mirror, called a Claude glass, to make the scenery look like a painting.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word: picturesque
a) distant
b) ancient
c) peaceful
d) ugly
Show answer
d) ugly. A picturesque place is a pleasure to look at, and an ugly one is not.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
pi_t_resque
a) t,u
b) c,o
c) c,u
d) k,u
Show answer
c) c,u. A c comes before the t, and u follows it, as in nature and future.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
cerietpuqsu
a) turquoise
b) picturesque
c) grotesque
d) precious
Show answer
b) picturesque. There is no o among these letters, so turquoise, grotesque and precious are all out.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) beutiful
b) magnificent
c) picturesque
d) scenery
Show answer
a) beutiful. Beautiful starts with beau, the same letters that begin beauty.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which place would most people call picturesque?
a) a dusty building site full of cranes
b) a busy car park beside a motorway
c) a quiet hill village with flowers by every door
d) a crowded bus depot at rush hour
Show answer
c) a quiet hill village with flowers by every door
2. The Lake District is often described as picturesque. Why do most visitors go there?
a) to enjoy its lovely views
b) to see its tall office towers
c) to buy cheap electronics
d) to work in its factories
Show answer
a) to enjoy its lovely views
