picaresque

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The 18th century teemed with picaresque tales of comic misadventure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

The sprawling, picaresque story uses 18th-century literary conventions to chronicle the adventures of Ebenezer Cooke, who takes possession of a tobacco farm in Maryland.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 2, 2024

In a way, Fendrix’s compositions — moving from the wry, picaresque strings of Bella’s early years to a convulsive coming-of-age synth-ony — tell the story as directly as any of McNamara’s words.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2023

“Oreo” is satire and metafiction, a picaresque and a bildungsroman.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2023

When Edward Abbey was writing The Monkey Wrench Gang, his picaresque novel about eco-terrorism in the canyon country, his pal Ken Sleight was said to have inspired the character Seldom Seen Smith.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer