Bunyanesque
adj ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Reminiscent of the allegorical writings of John Bunyan (1628–1688), English Christian writer and preacher, best known for The Pilgrim's Progress.
"Lewis's Bunyanesque allegory about a character named John on a journey to the island of Joy is loaded with abstract allusions, overly simple characterizations of culture, and at times a convoluted style."
- 2 Relating to, or reminiscent of, the legends about Paul Bunyan, a giant lumberjack in American folklore
"Too damaged to train for the Rooke fight, which he had to cancel, Donovan returned to New York full of Bunyanesque stories of a young Irishman destined to be the greatest fighter of all time."
- 3 Of immense size.
"Just a little more than 100,000 years ago, there were sloths as long as a giraffe is tall, monstrous bears whose shoulders were six feet off the ground, and Bunyanesque beavers that weighed as much as an NFL linebacker."
Example
More examples"Lewis's Bunyanesque allegory about a character named John on a journey to the island of Joy is loaded with abstract allusions, overly simple characterizations of culture, and at times a convoluted style."
Etymology
From Bunyan + -esque.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.