Don Quixote

noun

Don Qui·​xote ˌdän-kē-ˈ(h)ō-tē How to pronounce Don Quixote (audio)
ˌdäŋ-;
 chiefly British  dän-ˈkwik-sət
: an impractical idealist

Examples of Don Quixote in a Sentence

a latter-day Don Quixote, she's spent her life fighting the state's big logging companies
Recent Examples on the Web Sidekick to: Don Quixote de la Mancha Don Quixote may be the star of Miguel de Cervantes' deeply ironic, surprisingly modern satire of macho heroism, but Sancho is the earthy everyman. Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024 Cincinnati Ballet: Don Quixote, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday, Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 18 Feb. 2024 Orson Welles famously started but never finished an adaptation in Spain of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes’ beloved 17th-century novel. Jennifer Green, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 When: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday Where: Don Quixote, 2811 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles Admission: Tickets $25 to $50; For more information, call or text 626-689-5027 Vision Board Workshop: Resolutions are out, vision boards are in. Kamren Curiel, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024 The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, which was finally released in 2018, starred Adam Driver and longtime Gilliam collaborator Jonathan Pryce. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023 Meryl is a hardheaded Candide, a sharp-eyed Don Quixote. Jesse Green, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023 The film follows Assante’s character, who thinks of himself as a Don Corleone but is really more of a Don Quixote. Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Nov. 2023 The Don Quixote pas de deux with Catherine Hurlin and Daniel Camargo. Vogue, 25 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Don Quixote.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, hero of Cervantes' Don Quixote

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Don Quixote was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near Don Quixote

Cite this Entry

“Don Quixote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Don%20Quixote. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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