as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
in this age of giant chain stores, any attempt at operating an independent bookstore must be regarded as quixotic
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Recent Examples of quixotic
His performance here most recalls his tragicomic portrayal of John Brown, the heroic but unhinged abolitionist whose quixotic raid on Harpers Ferry helped catalyze the Civil War, in Showtime’s 2020 adaptation of James McBride’s The Good Lord Bird.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
New Delhi’s quixotic quest for multipolarity in the international system—that is, a world not structured around the hegemony of a single superpower or the competition of two great powers—has rankled Washington.
—Moeed Yusuf, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s a quixotic gallantry to appealing to a saner conservative and looking ahead to a post-Trump American politics.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
But Cruz’s quixotic effort did succeed in a couple of ways.
—David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quixotic
Judy Berman, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
New Delhi’s quixotic quest for multipolarity in the international system—that is, a world not structured around the hegemony of a single superpower or the competition of two great powers—has rankled Washington.
—Moeed Yusuf, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s a quixotic gallantry to appealing to a saner conservative and looking ahead to a post-Trump American politics.
—James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
But Cruz’s quixotic effort did succeed in a couple of ways.
—David M. Drucker, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quixotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quixotic
Adjective
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That sensibility is countered by Dina’s, who plays the romantic foil to Liberty’s pessimist.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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Williams and Preti’s love story first made headlines in the summer of 2024 when the pair were spotted enjoying a romantic boat trip along Italy’s Amalfi Coast.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Critics lambasted those policies as impractical at best, reckless at worst.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Countach is also famously impractical and a pain to drive, so the next buyer will likely be taking on a more-than-usual stewardship role in terms of old supercars, the service not being to themselves but to the wider community, which gets to look at the Countach rather than operate it.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The series chronicles the decades-long relationship between Bailey’s bright-eyed and idealistic young congressional staffer Tim and Matt Bomer’s stern State Department official, Hawk.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Nov. 2025
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Cowley’s disillusioned but fundamentally idealistic cohort had an unexpected response.—
Michael Gorra,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The film, written by Barbosa alongside Werner Salles, is set in 1695 and sees a family of slaves organize a rebellion to flee in search of the utopian Quilombo dos Palmares following a call from the spiritual helm.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
3 Nov. 2025
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Flood’s playwright is haunted by the fact that her mother, like many in the movement, did eventually meet a man, settle down, and compromise on utopian ambitions to raise her kids.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quixotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quixotic. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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