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
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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
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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
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 7 Mar. 2025
John was an idealist, and that's what's appealing about him.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 12 Apr. 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
Rogen stars as studio executive Matt Remick, an idealist who’s dedicated to preserving the art of cinema, but usually gets ignored on movie sets.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 7 Mar. 2025
John was an idealist, and that's what's appealing about him.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealist
Adjective
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Within weeks of Molly’s arrival in Ireland, her relationship with Jason evolved from professional to romantic.—
Lynsey Eidell,
People.com,
10 May 2025
-
Smith, who was engaged to someone else, was in a romantic relationship with Brand more than 15 years ago.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Noun
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For dreamers who still cling to hope in the City of Angels, there needs to be.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Wembley notebook: Man City show nous to set up FA Cup final with Palace dreamers Manchester City were in the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the seventh season running yesterday.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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All this may sound idealistic, but so far it’s been great.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
14 May 2025
-
Lula insists on pacifism in an idealistic way that is unusual among world leaders.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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Real estate investments, including rental properties, (DSTs) with cash if a 1031 exchange is impractical, or real estate investment trusts (REITs), can produce regular income through rental payments.—
Fred Hubler,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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This highly contentious deal was criticized for being inhumane and impractical at the time.—
Frey Lindsay,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Hanson sees the rise of dance pop in the US as reflective of utopian desires in the face of economic recession.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
11 May 2025
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The Paris Climate Accord is a kind of utopian desire.—
A.D. Amorosi,
Variety,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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Data from polling company Gallup reveals a growing ideological divide between young men and women in Gen Z across the globe.—
Arthur Coelho Bezerra,
The Conversation,
14 May 2025
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Those results are now drawing scrutiny and caution from both sides of the GOP’s ideological spectrum, posing a difficult balancing act for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).—
Mychael Schnell,
The Hill,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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But the differing Indian and Pakistani reactions to the cease-fire announcement suggest this will be a quixotic task.—
Lisa Curtis,
Foreign Affairs,
13 May 2025
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And there’s not much to suggest the strategy goes much further than that, despite the administration’s quixotic and largely rhetorical fantasy of a bringing manufacturing back to the United States.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealist. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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