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picaresque

[pik-uh-resk] / ˌpɪk əˈrɛsk /


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 book is also a comedy, and there is a picaresque quality to it that Justin made a brilliant adaptation of, because it’s a romantic movie, but it’s also very funny.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2024

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

“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




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