Synonyms of idealists

idealists

noun

plural of idealist

as in dreamers

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

• dreamers
• romantics
• utopians
• romanticists
• ideologues
• visionaries
• idealizers
• sentimentalists
• theorists
• optimists
• Don Quixotes
• fantasts
• daydreamers
• reformers
• Pollyannas
• perfectionists
• emotionalists
• thinkers
• do-gooders
• Micawbers
• doctrinaires
• fantasizers
• woolgatherers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• realists
• pragmatists
• cynics
• pessimists
• defeatists
• empiricists
• hardnoses
• empirics

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of idealists

Its officials view questions of morality as a costly sideshow, the remit of woolly-minded idealists who do not understand how the world works. — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2026

Witty, bitter, flamboyant, and emotionally grounded, the dialogue swings, delightfully, between intimate exchanges and grandiloquent soliloquies, capturing the vulnerability of idealists in the face of evil. — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026

At its core, Dark Matter is a series about the folly and hubris of humankind, even when — nay, especially when — idealists have the power to achieve transformative change. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026

The campaign, which has highlighted divides over support for Israel, is a show for moderates against progressives, insiders against outsiders and pragmatists against idealists. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 4 Aug. 2026

Independent bookselling, rarely a way to get rich, is a meeting ground for idealists — for young people with a sense of mission, retirees embarking on a new life or middle-aged people no longer satisfied with their careers. — ABC News, 27 May 2026

Both a business and a calling Independent bookselling, rarely a way to get rich, is a meeting ground for idealists — for young people with a sense of mission, retirees embarking on a new life or middle-aged people no longer satisfied with their careers. — Hillel Italie, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026

In the early 20th century, a group of idealists set out to build a road that would connect towns and showcase the raw beauty of the Columbia River Gorge. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2026

Some idealists set out to build a new community from scratch. — Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025