Synonyms of idealistic

idealistic

adjective

(ˌ)ī-ˌdē-(ə-)ˈli-stik 

as in romantic

having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality

idealistic pacifists who thought that tyranny could be toppled by rational argument and mutual understanding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• romantic
• impractical
• idealist
• utopian
• quixotic
• optimistic
• ideological
• starry-eyed
• hopeful
• visionary
• starry
• quixotical
• unrealistic
• zealous
• sentimental
• messianic
• crusading
• moony
• rosy
• Pollyannaish
• tender-minded
• doctrinaire
• upbeat
• moonstruck
• dewy-eyed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsentimental
• pragmatic
• hardheaded
• realistic
• practical
• clear-eyed
• clear-sighted
• tough-minded
• hard-nosed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of idealistic

Sutskever is portrayed as the idealistic, naive hero — the ingenious mind behind the lab’s entire existence who can’t stomach lying and is reluctant to accumulate any power. — Hayden Field, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026

Geoff warns Ilya to moderate his projections, emphasizing the need for safeguards, but the idealistic Russian is swept up in the vast potential of AI — to solve the climate crisis, cure cancer, even save humanity from itself. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

What was once a contemporary exploration of horror has become a sentimental aesthetic, with this particular version of 2011 looking ironically idealistic because younger viewers never had to live inside it. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2026

That book, which served as a major source for Christopher Nolan’s 2023 blockbuster biopic, Oppenheimer, presented a nuanced portrait of the idealistic, mystically inclined, yet duplicitous and power-seeking nuclear physicist. — Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 15 Sep. 2026