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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Patients undergo a CAT scan to show bone placement, and then that scan is entered into a planning software that creates a 3D model of the shoulder.—
Lauren Giella,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Choose between a model with a permanent filter made of metal or one that uses paper filters.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The group’s ideals are being pursued—but by ICE and the government itself.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Mikail added that a case like this also requires the therapist to surrender the ideal of perfect recovery—to accept that patients can heal in meaningful ways even if their healing isn’t complete.—
Leslie Jamison,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Russia has rejected that idea, and euroskeptic Trump might not have the region's concerns in the forefront of his mind come Friday.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
-
In those decades, Americans were fighting over some big ideas.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Osman’s book has become a classic among British crime thrillers.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Aug. 2025
-
People are now on alert and hopefully ordering out for pizza, cracking open a sixer, and getting ready to chomp into this new dumbass classic.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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For example, the brotherhoods sometimes recast their patron saints as relatives who naturally appreciated the African rhythms of their homelands.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
18 July 2025
-
But beyond the revelry, the holiday has deep historical and religious roots tied to Ireland's patron saint.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Wesley would rack up accomplishments with a sparkling air of perfection, then march cheerily forward.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Their clients around the world report measurable results because speed matters more than perfection when capturing micro moments.—
Ascend Agency,
Mercury News,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Her last qualms were with schools that get grants to buy supplies, including computers, for example.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
6 Aug. 2025
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For example, some foundations have not been regularly reconciling their accounts and have made some expenditures without proper prior approval or supporting documentation, such as receipts or invoices, according to the audit.—
Kristen Taketa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In many ways, Vance’s rise has been a compelling manifestation of that retreat.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
15 Aug. 2025
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Prior to the tumor's manifestation, her only symptom had been a sore arm, which the doctors chalked up to arthritis.—
Simar Bajaj,
NPR,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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