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 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 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
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
Male dictators are Trump’s beau ideal of an admirable world leader.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 24 Jan. 2018
There was a time when the beau ideal was to drive your sports car to the track, paint numbers on it, go racing and then drive home.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 July 2017
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 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
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
Male dictators are Trump’s beau ideal of an admirable world leader.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 24 Jan. 2018
There was a time when the beau ideal was to drive your sports car to the track, paint numbers on it, go racing and then drive home.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beau ideal
Noun
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In the cerebral artery flow model in the lab, Heit says, the milli-spinner was 100% effective at removing clots in more than 500 attempts.—
Ani Freedman,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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Given the affordable housing crisis, Vienna’s social housing model has been given enormous media exposure and has been studied by numerous advocacy groups with mixed views.—
Jan Goldsmith,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
For a joyful expression of summer style, the market tote is my platonic ideal.—
Talia Abbas,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
-
Latin American nations, for all their political convulsions and repressive periods, have a rich history of social movements grounded in collective ideals.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
30 June 2025
Noun
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This chicken dinner idea checks several of the essential boxes for cowboy cooking: a cast iron skillet, plenty of Southwestern flavor, and a cheesy topping.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 June 2025
-
Either way, there is much buzz about his big-picture ideas.—
Kairi Lowery,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Hadid’s twist on the classic includes a crashing wave design across the footbed, paired with a minimalist beige strap.—
Izzy Baskette,
People.com,
21 June 2025
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The set, which was once a cult classic, but now should be regarded simply as a hugely successful release, also breaks into the top 10 on the Billboard 200.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
Noun
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The resort's name is derived from Barbara (the patron saint of Santa Barbara) and Anacapa Island.—
Carole Dixon,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2025
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The contrast between Ireland’s two patron saints is striking.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Nicholas Meyer brought the franchise back to life with The Wrath of Khan, which pits Kirk against his old nemesis (played to arch perfection by Ricardo Montalban).—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
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Imagine tender chicken breasts marinated in spiced buttermilk, then pan-fried to crispy perfection and coated in a honey-buffalo sauce, before being layered onto a fluffy challah bun with tangy ranch slaw and bites of fresh dill.—
Ronny Maye,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Noun
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For example, natural oils that would otherwise be filtered out in a drip coffee maker remain fully intact, making the coffee aromatic and robust.—
Tyler Shane,
Wired News,
30 June 2025
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For example, one of my most popular services is writing wedding speeches.—
Jen Glantz,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
Noun
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However, whether the brain changes are a cause of the mental health issues, an effect of them, or are independent manifestation of overwork is unclear.—
Paul Hsieh,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Maybe this was a manifestation of the same streaming bloat that has also, recently, produced maddeningly incomplete seasons of hit shows like The Last of Us and Squid Game.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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