as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world
a latter-day Don Quixote, she's spent her life fighting the state's big logging companies
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Recent Examples of Don Quixote
Combining the optimism of Don Quixote and Candide became the guide for my main character—an absolutely surreal, absurd optimist, who believes that even things way out of his league are possible for him.
—
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2025
Loosely centered on the ballet Don Quixote (which is based on the 1600s Spanish novel), Act 2 speaks to kids ages 5–8 about themes of resilience, compassion and friendship—values Copeland says shaped her early years.
—Essence, 4 Nov. 2025
Writers have always been more Don Quixote than Sancho Panza.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, the two become close, to the degree that they are compared to Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Don Quixote
The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2025
Loosely centered on the ballet Don Quixote (which is based on the 1600s Spanish novel), Act 2 speaks to kids ages 5–8 about themes of resilience, compassion and friendship—values Copeland says shaped her early years.
—Essence, 4 Nov. 2025
Writers have always been more Don Quixote than Sancho Panza.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, the two become close, to the degree that they are compared to Don Quixote and his faithful servant Sancho Panza.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Don Quixote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for Don Quixote
Noun
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And then there is the dreamer artist and author who at 50 dropped everything and joined the Peace Corps.—
David Kravet,
Hartford Courant,
19 Jan. 2026
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From noirs to Hollywood rises (and falls) to neighborhood dreamers, Los Angeles is always ready for its close-up.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Muppets are romantics, after all.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
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This is a space for artists, dreamers, romantics, and those looking to step into a slice of old-world Paris.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Architectural Digest,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Don Quixote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/Don%20Quixote. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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