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
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
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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The aging expert later developed other biological aging clocks, including models shown in studies to be strong predictors of mortality risk.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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Back in 2019, Gab Waller would never have expected that her first client as a personal shopper would be the English model and actor Rosie Huntington-Whitely.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Unlike her sister Daphne, Eloise's character is a nonconformist regarding society's ideals of what a woman should be, and her outfits portray that.—
Kelsie Gibson,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
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The crunchy Larkin Poe album embodies the musical slipperiness of Americana as an ideal, a carefree cruise through country, blues, rock, and soul; the Molly Tuttle album brims with the rustic zest of early Sheryl Crow.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Everybody’s scrolling and everybody’s skipping, but to actually sit down, put a record on and consume it, that’s a very romantic idea.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2026
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As outré as Camel Lights gets, the presence of such treasured guests and ideas apparently rattling around Geologist’s brain for 28 years conveys the sense that this is a genuinely personal work—not a one-off novelty.—
Zach Schonfeld,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The panel will turn on adapting the novel’s magical realism, shaping its multi-generational story for an eight‑episode series and the creative collaboration behind bringing this beloved classic to global audiences, the Berlinale Series Market confirmed Wednesday.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
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Family-Style Feast While a buffet or multi-course meal are classics at weddings, consider serving up your rehearsal dinner family style.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Such stories became central to shaping Francis’ identity as the patron saint of animals and, later, of the natural world.—
Vanessa Corcoran,
The Conversation,
2 Feb. 2026
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The Ceremony of the Sainte-Devote, which Princess Charlene attended alongside her husband Prince Albert II, commemorates Sainte Devote, who is the patron saint of the Principality of Monaco and France’s Mediterranean Corsica island.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This showstopper of a dessert mashes up the bold caffeinated flavors of classic tiramisu with the perfectly wobbly, creamy perfection of panna cotta.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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This reduces perfection pressure, increases psychological safety, and brings coworkers into the experimentation instead of waiting for a finished solution.—
Keith Ferrazzi,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Konyndyk argued that mortality data won’t reflect many adverse outcomes of the aid cuts, because humanitarians and aid recipients are frantically reallocating funds; for example, taking money away from education to put it towards food.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Lovejoy, for example, will compete in a basketball district with Anna, Celina, McKinney North, Melissa and other schools far northeast of Dallas.—
Myah Taylor,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Eventually there will be a physical manifestation of the Hall, a building somewhere with plaques and memorabilia and exhibits honoring the rich history of sports in Southern California, but that will be at the back end.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
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Antetokounmpo is the manifestation of the second timeline the Warriors have chased for years.—
Nick Friedell,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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