1
as in model
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
she is the beau ideal of the dedicated medical professional
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2
as in ideal
the most perfect type or example
Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous architectural creation, Falling Water, is widely regarded as the beau ideal of a building in harmony with its setting
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Recent Examples of beau ideal
The beau ideal of local graft was Hall’s boss, Fate Thomas, the Davidson County sheriff.
—
James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For those who’ve forgotten, celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti was seen for a time as the Democratic beau ideal, a brawler who could get under Trump’s skin and take the fight to the president like few others could or would.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For those who’ve forgotten, celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti was seen for a time as the Democratic beau ideal, a brawler who could get under Trump’s skin and take the fight to the president like few others could or would.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beau ideal
Noun
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Alaves should be similarly worried, according to Opta’s model, facing both of the top two before the season is out, while Sevilla do not have it easy after a massive game at Levante on Wednesday.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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The company had a two-bedroom, 360-square-foot model that cost $96,900 on display outside its factory.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Orbán wasn’t taken down by liberal democratic ideals but by his own excessive greed.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The men and women whose political visions were formed in the interwar period carried those ideals forward into the Cold War era.—
Tony Wood,
The Conversation,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Focus on one idea and carry it through.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Barnes and Imam had been trading ideas with a scholar named Andrew Willard Jones, whose work focussed on the model of Christendom found in, say, High Middle Ages France, where society was organized around its relationship with the Church.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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A lot of modern rom-coms try to nod to those ’90s classics, but they get caught up in being too referential.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
22 Apr. 2026
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The guava version is a classic, but the chocolate croissant stole the show.—
Tristan Graziano,
Charlotte Observer,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The patron saint of the NBA Play-In Tournament has gone missing.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Your baby will share a name with the patron saint of Paris.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Progress comes from steady, coordinated effort, not perfection.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
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Host Rachel Holt visits the studio to explore the craft and how a deep respect for history drives a passion for perfection.—
Rachel Holt,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But as anyone who has argued over a set of new windows can attest, condo boards are a better example.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
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For example, consider buying your mom a weighted vest.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The pop star’s headlining set was a two-year-old manifestation come to life.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
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Tickets for the event, which includes yoga, manifestation and sound healing, start at 2,699 Australian dollars ($1,912) per person.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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