as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
an idealist attempt to make a go of a mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world
an idealist sees the best in everyone, regardless of how they behave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idealist
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
In the new release, Temple plays idealist scientist Dr. Teddy Paine opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor’s General Rex Strickland — the overseer of a secret research facility dedicated to symbiotes.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025
And the call isn’t just coming from idealists this time – the prestigious science journal Nature is also now arguing for a global rail revival – not as a nostalgic nod to the past, but as a pragmatic cornerstone of climate strategy.
—Chelsea Haney
october 25, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
Adjective
Labour leader Starmer, though, has taken a realist rather than an idealist approach to the president, putting Britain's foreign policy interests above the strong opposition to Trump in the rank and file of his own party.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
In the new release, Temple plays idealist scientist Dr. Teddy Paine opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor’s General Rex Strickland — the overseer of a secret research facility dedicated to symbiotes.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Noun
Some idealists set out to build a new community from scratch.
—Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025
And the call isn’t just coming from idealists this time – the prestigious science journal Nature is also now arguing for a global rail revival – not as a nostalgic nod to the past, but as a pragmatic cornerstone of climate strategy.
—Chelsea Haney
october 25, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealist
Adjective
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Not artists — nurses, teachers, baristas Imas is careful to distinguish his argument from a romantic vision of a world full of painters and performers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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The realities and challenges that come with romantic relationships are something Tierney is notably looking forward to unpacking in season two.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This is a city of dreamers and strivers, so come, bask in their glow, and enjoy a few days of that golden life for yourself.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Apr. 2026
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Those crazy, diverse individuals, that tribe of oddballs and eccentrics, dreamers, and gamblers who make up this business.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Tom Steyer is too focused on bringing about idealistic policy outcomes to be sensitive to the worldly conditions that will make their implementation detrimental.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
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O’Casey is Liz Gold, an idealistic young woman at the heart of the story, reprising her role from the stage adaptation which recently completed its West End run.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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While some of her clothes were outlandish and impractical, most were insistently in line with the needs of an urban, often professional, woman.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
15 Apr. 2026
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While some sites provide after-school for a fee, the cost of extended hours can be so high, and the schedule so impractical, that some parents are forced to turn down the city’s offer of free care.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The red planet is the apple of Elon Musk’s eye, with utopian concepts for a Mars settlement to go along with SpaceX’s more tangible work on a massive rocket to actually fly there.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
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The public discussion still swings between utopian promise and apocalyptic dread.—
Barry R. Davis,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealist. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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