pic·nic
ˈpik-(ˌ)nik 
often attributive
1
: an excursion or outing with food usually provided by members of the group and eaten in the open
also
: the food provided for a picnic
2
a
: a pleasant or amusingly carefree experience
I don't expect being married to be a picnic—
Josephine Pinckney
Josephine Pinckney
b
: an easy task or feat
3
: a shoulder of pork with much of the butt removed
picnicked; picnicking
: to go on a picnic : eat in picnic fashion
picnicker
noun
Synonyms
Examples of picnic in a Sentence
Noun
We decided to have a picnic on the beach.
We ate our picnic by the lake.
The annual school picnic is this weekend.
This winter is a picnic compared with last year's.
Verb
We picnicked in the park.
Recent Examples on the WebPatricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2024
This Marry Me Chicken Pasta Salad also makes a delicious addition to a packed lunch or picnic spread.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2024
Tall enough to chill a bottle of wine (or 33 cans) while slim enough to fit behind a car seat, this cooler is ideal for road trips, picnics, beach days, and more.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Attendees are welcome to bring a picnic lunch, walk the garden or participate in the interactive Storybook Stroll.
—Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The images now stand for what is lost: trips across Ukraine with his wife, family picnics on the Black Sea, watching Tymofii grow up.
—Constant Méheut Oksana Parafeniuk, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
As well as the grouse shoots, picnics and muddy dog walks that keep members of the family entertained during the long summer days, the estate has also been a place of solace where the royals can enjoy time out of the limelight.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Lily Bay State Park is also worth a visit, known for its sandy beach, campsites, playground, and picnic areas.
—Erinne Magee, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Nancy Castellanos and her 5-year-old daughter, Camilla, sat on a striped picnic blanket outside the California Science Center with their eyes fixed to the sky.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Margalit Fox, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The development has a pond where residents picnic and catch bass and catfish.
—Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024
The remaining mounds in Wisconsin are protected by state law, and the Department of Natural Resources states that visitors should not walk over or picnic on burial mounds.
Nurre and others, tribal and nontribal, have dedicated much of their life's work to preserving and protecting these mounds.
—Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024
Its many notable features include an outfield-adjacent lawn where fans can watch a game while picnicking.
—Fred A. Bernstein, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Baker Beach is a great option for picnicking with your family or taking a hike with your dog, as there's a lovely trail along the cliffs that connect to the beach.
—Adeline Duff, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024
And families can picnic on tacos, quesadillas and burritos for purchase at the Nacho Bizness food truck.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
On Christmas morning, instead of gathering around a tree and opening presents, the three of us would load our car with a cooler full of chapatis wrapped in tinfoil and thermoses packed with sabji and drive to one of America’s natural wonders to picnic.
—Meena Venkataramanan, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2023
With a captain and boat on call for every villa, guests often choose to explore or picnic at secluded beaches on neighboring islands and cays like Cayos Zapatillas, part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023
Noun
Visitors and residents alike stroll along the scenic Cliff Walk, bike along Ocean Drive, browse farmers markets, and picnic on the beach.
—Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2024
This Marry Me Chicken Pasta Salad also makes a delicious addition to a packed lunch or picnic spread.
—Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2024
Tall enough to chill a bottle of wine (or 33 cans) while slim enough to fit behind a car seat, this cooler is ideal for road trips, picnics, beach days, and more.
—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Attendees are welcome to bring a picnic lunch, walk the garden or participate in the interactive Storybook Stroll.
—Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
The images now stand for what is lost: trips across Ukraine with his wife, family picnics on the Black Sea, watching Tymofii grow up.
—Constant Méheut Oksana Parafeniuk, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
As well as the grouse shoots, picnics and muddy dog walks that keep members of the family entertained during the long summer days, the estate has also been a place of solace where the royals can enjoy time out of the limelight.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Lily Bay State Park is also worth a visit, known for its sandy beach, campsites, playground, and picnic areas.
—Erinne Magee, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024
Nancy Castellanos and her 5-year-old daughter, Camilla, sat on a striped picnic blanket outside the California Science Center with their eyes fixed to the sky.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
The resulting work tells the story of 8-year-old Cassie Lightfoot — the daughter of the picnicking family — who one magical night in 1939 flies over the rooftops of the city to soar above the George Washington Bridge.
—Margalit Fox, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
The development has a pond where residents picnic and catch bass and catfish.
—Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024
The remaining mounds in Wisconsin are protected by state law, and the Department of Natural Resources states that visitors should not walk over or picnic on burial mounds.
Nurre and others, tribal and nontribal, have dedicated much of their life's work to preserving and protecting these mounds.
—Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2024
Its many notable features include an outfield-adjacent lawn where fans can watch a game while picnicking.
—Fred A. Bernstein, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024
Baker Beach is a great option for picnicking with your family or taking a hike with your dog, as there's a lovely trail along the cliffs that connect to the beach.
—Adeline Duff, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2024
And families can picnic on tacos, quesadillas and burritos for purchase at the Nacho Bizness food truck.
—Christina Mayo, Miami Herald, 31 Jan. 2024
On Christmas morning, instead of gathering around a tree and opening presents, the three of us would load our car with a cooler full of chapatis wrapped in tinfoil and thermoses packed with sabji and drive to one of America’s natural wonders to picnic.
—Meena Venkataramanan, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2023
With a captain and boat on call for every villa, guests often choose to explore or picnic at secluded beaches on neighboring islands and cays like Cayos Zapatillas, part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'picnic.' 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 picnic
Cite this Entry
“Picnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picnic. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
picnic
1 of 2 noun
pic·nic
ˈpik-(ˌ)nik
1
: a meal eaten outdoors often during a trip away from home
2
a
: a pleasant or carefree experience
breaking a leg is no picnic
b
: an easy task
3
: a shoulder of pork that is often smoked and boned
picnicky
adjective
picnic
2 of 2 verb
picnicked; picnicking
: to go on a picnic : eat as if on a picnic
picnicker
noun
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