the countryside

Meaning

1. 1nounsingular

   Land outside towns and cities, with farms, fields, woods and small villages.

   Grammar: Always with the and takes a singular verb: the countryside is quiet.

   Patterns

   • in the countryside
   • across the countryside

   We drove through the countryside on our way to the coast.

   She grew up in the countryside and misses the quiet.

   The countryside looked green after the rain.

Common combinations

in the countryside

They bought a small house in the countryside.

drive through the countryside

We love to drive through the countryside in autumn.

beautiful countryside

The beautiful countryside attracts many walkers.

explore the countryside

The couple spent a week exploring the countryside by bike.

rolling countryside

Rolling countryside stretched in every direction.

Synonyms and how they differ

the country

The country is more casual and also means a nation, so countryside is clearer for rural land.

rural areas

Rural areas is more formal and suits statistics and reports, while the countryside suggests scenery.

the provinces

The provinces implies areas away from the capital and can sound dismissive.

the sticks

The sticks is informal and sometimes mocking about remote places.

Opposites

Word family

country noun

land away from cities, or a nation

countryman noun

a person from the same country or rural area

countrified adjective

having a rural look or manner

rural adjective

relating to the country

Commonly confused: the countryside or country side?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “the countryside”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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