as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
an idealist attempt to make a go of a mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world
an idealist sees the best in everyone, regardless of how they behave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idealist
Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
In each episode, Kaplan argues that although hubris, ambition, and hatred always lurk in the background, the knowledge of human imperfection and the limits of progress can liberate people to seek greater self-awareness and avoid idealist misadventures.
—Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Described as the wild romance of Gen Z’s own Bonnie and Clyde, the untitled FTX series centers on two hyper smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye – and then seduced, coaxed, and teased each other into stealing $36 billion.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
Adjective
The film’s first trailer released on Monday, featuring Adam Driver as an idealist architect up against Giancarlo Esposito as a pragmatist mayor.
—Zoe G Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024
In each episode, Kaplan argues that although hubris, ambition, and hatred always lurk in the background, the knowledge of human imperfection and the limits of progress can liberate people to seek greater self-awareness and avoid idealist misadventures.
—Robert D. Kaplan, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023
Noun
The demographics have shifted from young idealists to seasoned veterans grappling with institutional weight and responsibility.
—Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Described as the wild romance of Gen Z’s own Bonnie and Clyde, the untitled FTX series centers on two hyper smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye – and then seduced, coaxed, and teased each other into stealing $36 billion.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealist
Adjective
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This new track is a great way to remember the artist’s romantic side outside of the corridos that brought him fame a decade ago.—
Luisa Calle,
Billboard,
27 June 2025
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There'd always been someone, not even necessarily a romantic partner.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
27 June 2025
Noun
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At a Los Angeles house party, an aspiring musician pursues her crush through a crowd of hopeful dreamers chasing empty promises.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
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For all the dreamers out there, Sterling K. Brown’s got the summertime TV escape for you.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Exhibiting an eclectic array of academic excellence, robust pursuit of agricultural and STEM innovations, and idealistic ambitions, they are headed to prestigious universities, including CalTech, Cornell, MIT, Northwestern, and Cal Poly.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 July 2025
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From an idealistic kid to a ‘police officer in reverse’ Slosar is the product of the brief union of a couple who married too young, according to his mother.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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By contrast, the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands have been allocated to Wi-Fi for a long time, are heavily used, and modifying existing devices to stop using parts of the bands would be impractical.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
30 June 2025
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This sheer volume makes manual auditing impractical and reinforces the need for intelligent tools that can scale.—
Prashant Kondle,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Advertisement While the setting of Brokeback Mountain, where the pair first works together herding sheep, provides secluded idyll along the (theoretically) utopian lines of Fire Island, Jack and Ennis are largely divorced from gay culture.—
Rich Juzwiak,
Time,
24 June 2025
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Here was a community built on collectivist and utopian principles that had decided 88 years after its founding to disband.—
JOSEPH TORIGIAN,
Foreign Affairs,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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The vote, split along ideological lines, follows over a year of proposals, community roundtables and allegations of quid pro quo between the progressive majority and Mayor Lisa Brown.—
Tim Clouser,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2025
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The earlier 6-3 Tennessee ruling on June 18 came along ideological lines in U.S. v. Skrmetti, and effectively protects from legal challenges many efforts by the Trump administration and state governments to roll back protections for transgender people.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Should the Trump administration actually go through with a quixotic invasion effort, the cost in blood and treasure would doubtless drive a permanent wedge within the MAGA movement.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 June 2025
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What sets Netflix Spain apart from most of the U.S. streamer’s international operations is its ambition, based not on quixotic dreams of grandeur but on the record-breaking first decade of generating key titles which perform well on home ground but break out spectacularly abroad.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealist. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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