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
-
Toyota's midsize sedan is a best-selling model in its segment that competes with popular rivals like the Honda Accord.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
-
Together, their strengths offer a model for a pope who can shepherd with both mind and heart — faithful to doctrine and fearless in love.—
Case Thorp,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
The whole of Wish World is built on Conrad's toxic ideals, made real by Desidirium's powers and subsequently amplified by the Ranis' ingenious/devious use of Voystet-bladen technology.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
24 May 2025
-
All those aspects make Zoom Phone ideal for customer support representatives who don't need advanced contact center features, knowledge workers who frequently make calls, and sales teams.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
House and Senate lawmakers keep circulating big ideas that would go well beyond a narrow fix — and cost taxpayers many billions in doing so.—
David Greising,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
-
While many celebrity documentaries are innocuous self-celebrations produced by the subjects or by their estates, in a more open arrangement, the person behind the camera may have leave to form and express their own ideas about the person in front of it.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
The bar features a rotating selection of seasonal cocktails, like the Industry Negroni, a complex and boozy take on the classic featuring Fernet Branca, Campari, Green Chartreuse and orange bitters.—
Emily Bloch,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
16 May 2025
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When the Wires Go Dead: Why Spain’s Train Crisis May Spark a Hydrogen Future In the middle of the day on 28 April 2025, Spain lived a modern replay of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still.—
Marianne Lehnis,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
Above all, there was Marvelous Marv Throneberry, the team’s poor patron saint.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
Named for the patron saint of the internet, St. Isidore aims to become the nation’s first charter school with an explicitly religious curriculum.—
Sarah Mervosh,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Some viewed his pursuit of perfection, marked by his unrealistically high standards, intolerance for mistakes, and insistence on working with only the best people, as the driving force behind Apple’s success.—
Esade Business & Law School,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
Bubic is using a style dictated by his strengths, by his terms and absent a need for perfection.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
23 May 2025
Noun
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At night, for example, when the house is silent and your work is done.—
Ann Goldstein,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
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For example, Hass avocados, which are the most common type available in the U.S., are medium sized.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Inside the park, attendees can roam through physical manifestations of Nintendo games, including the Mushroom Kingdom and Donkey Kong Country.—
Sage Anderson,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2025
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Her mom has trouble with intimate relationships and is sort of like a boy crazy mom, and Taylor's the one that's seeing the manifestation of that, and essentially comforting her mother and trying to help her.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
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