picnic
picnic
Pronunciation
/ˈpɪk.nɪk/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
First Syllable (/pɪk/):
/p/: Voiceless bilabial plosive
/ɪ/: Near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/k/: Voiceless velar plosive
Second Syllable (/nɪk/):
/n/: Alveolar nasal
/ɪ/: Near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/k/: Voiceless velar plosive
Word Form Variations
As a Noun:
Singular: picnic (e.g., "We are going on a picnic.")
Plural: picnics (e.g., "We had many picnics last summer.")
As a Verb:
Base form/Infinitive: picnic (e.g., "Let's picnic by the lake.")
Third-person singular present: picnics (e.g., "She often picnics in the park.")
Present participle: picnicking (e.g., "They are picnicking right now.")
Past tense: picnicked (e.g., "We picnicked there yesterday.")
Past participle: picnicked (e.g., "They have picnicked at this spot many times.")
Other related forms:
Picnicker: This is a noun referring to a person who picnics (e.g., "The picnickers enjoyed the sunny weather.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A leisurely outdoor meal, often involving packed food, enjoyed with company in a scenic setting such as a park, beach, or countryside.
Synonyms: al fresco meal, cookout, barbecue, outing, feast (informal), repast (formal)
Antonyms: indoor meal, formal dinner, banquet (in terms of formality)
The food prepared and brought for consumption during such an outdoor meal.
Synonyms: packed lunch, provisions, refreshments, spread
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for "food brought for a picnic," but could contrast with "restaurant meal," "takeaway food")
(Informal) An enjoyable, easy, or trouble-free experience or task.
Synonyms: breeze, cinch, cakewalk, snap, walk in the park, piece of cake, no-brainer, duck soup
Antonyms: challenge, struggle, ordeal, nightmare, grind, uphill battle, torture, burden, difficulty, drudgery
Verb
To partake in an outdoor meal, typically with packed food, in a relaxed and informal setting.
Synonyms: dine outdoors, eat al fresco, have a cookout, barbecue (as a verb), lunch outdoors
Antonyms: dine indoors, eat inside
To easily accomplish a task or navigate a situation.
Synonyms: sail through, breeze through, ace, conquer effortlessly, make short work of
Antonyms: struggle with, labor over, contend with, grapple with, toil, flounder
Examples of Use
Books:
"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame features a memorable scene where Rat and Mole enjoy a delightful picnic by the river.
"They spread their blankets and laid out their picnic basket, the scent of fresh bread and cheese filling the air." (Example from general fiction)
Newspapers:
"Families flocked to Central Park yesterday for an impromptu picnic to celebrate the sunny weather." ( New York Times)
"The local council is organizing a community picnic next month to foster neighborhood spirit." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"Our guide to the best picnic spots in the Cotswolds offers breathtaking views and delicious local produce." (Lonely Planet online)
"Learn how to pack the perfect zero-waste picnic for your next outdoor adventure." (Treehugger.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the movie Amelie, the titular character enjoys a charming picnic by the canal.
Television Series: "Let's all picnic by the old oak tree this Saturday," a character might suggest in a family-oriented sitcom.
Music: The song "Teddy Bear's Picnic" is a classic children's tune.
Video Games: A quest objective in an adventure game might be to "gather supplies for the village picnic."
Podcasts: "On today's episode, we discuss our favorite picnic recipes and the art of al fresco dining." (A food-related podcast)
General Public Discourse:
"This exam was a total picnic, I finished it in half the time." (Heard in conversation among students)
"The planning for the event has been a picnic so far, everything's falling into place easily." (Comment from an event organizer)
"Don't forget to pack a picnic lunch for the hike tomorrow!" (A parent to their child)
"We picnicked under the stars last night; it was magical." (Shared experience in social media)
10 Quotes Using Picnic
"Death is the sound of distant thunder at a picnic." (W. H. Auden)
"There are few things so pleasant as a picnic eaten in perfect comfort." (W. Somerset Maugham)
"Unless you are at a picnic, life is no picnic." (Jane Wagner)
"If ants are such busy workers, how come they find time to go to all the picnics?" (Marie Dressler)
"The examined life is no picnic." (Robert Fulghum)
"A picnic is more than eating a meal, it is a pleasurable state of mind." (DeeDee Stovel)
"Nothing is better than a picnic." (Zooey Deschanel)
"Kissing a man with a beard is a lot like going to a picnic. You don't mind going through a little bush to get there!" (Minnie Pearl)
"We hope that, when the insects take over the world, they will remember with gratitude how we took them along on all our picnics." (Bill Vaughan)
"You bring your own weather to a picnic." (Gretchen Rubin)
Etymology
The word "picnic" comes from the French phrase "pique-nique." It first appeared in French in 1649, though it became more widely known in the late 17th century.
Initially, a "pique-nique" didn't necessarily mean an outdoor meal. It referred to a social gathering where each person contributed their own share of food or wine to a communal meal. Think of it like a "potluck" today. The French verb "piquer" means "to pick" or "to peck," and "nique" was a word meaning "something trivial" or "a trifle." So, it roughly meant "picking at trifles" or "each person bringing a little bit."
The word made its way into English around the mid-1700s. Early English uses, like in a letter from 1748, still associated it with card-playing, drinking, and conversation, often indoors, with each person contributing. It wasn't until the early 19th century that "picnic" specifically came to mean an informal meal eaten outdoors, which is how we commonly understand it today. This shift in meaning likely happened as the idea of leisurely outdoor activities became more popular.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Picnic
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "picnic" or its close synonyms, some common and some less so, to illustrate its various connotations:
No picnic: Meaning a difficult or unpleasant situation. (Common)
Example: "Getting this project done on time was no picnic."
A walk in the park/A piece of cake/A breeze: (Using synonyms for a similar effect to "a picnic" in the sense of something easy)
Example: "For him, that challenging math problem was a walk in the park."
Have a picnic: To engage in the activity of eating a meal outdoors. (Common)
Example: "Let's have a picnic by the lake this weekend."
Pack a picnic: To prepare the food and items needed for an outdoor meal. (Common)
Example: "Don't forget to pack a picnic for our trip to the beach."
Go on a picnic: To participate in an outing that includes an outdoor meal. (Common)
Example: "The family decided to go on a picnic to the botanical gardens."
Picnic blanket: The blanket used to sit on during an outdoor meal. (Common)
Example: "We spread out the picnic blanket under the shade of the tree."
Picnic basket: A container specifically designed for carrying food and drink for a picnic. (Common)
Example: "The old wicker picnic basket had been in their family for generations."
Picnic perfect: Ideal for a picnic, usually referring to weather or a location. (Less common, but understandable)
Example: "The weather today is absolutely picnic perfect."
A life of picnics: An idiom suggesting an easy, carefree, and enjoyable existence. (Original phrase, building on the "no picnic" idea)
Example: "After all his hard work, he hoped to live a life of picnics in retirement."
Picnic atmosphere: A relaxed, informal, and cheerful ambiance, often associated with outdoor enjoyment. (Less common, descriptive)
Example: "Despite the formal setting, the cheerful music created a picnic atmosphere."
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of picnic from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
