Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective quixotic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of quixotic are chimerical, fanciful, fantastic, imaginary, and visionary. While all these words mean "unreal or unbelievable," quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

a quixotic crusade

How does the word chimerical relate to other synonyms for quixotic?

Chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic.

chimerical dreams of future progress

When can fanciful be used instead of quixotic?

The words fanciful and quixotic can be used in similar contexts, but fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

a teller of fanciful stories

When would fantastic be a good substitute for quixotic?

While the synonyms fantastic and quixotic are close in meaning, fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

a fantastic world inhabited by monsters

When is imaginary a more appropriate choice than quixotic?

The meanings of imaginary and quixotic largely overlap; however, imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

an imaginary desert isle

When is it sensible to use visionary instead of quixotic?

While in some cases nearly identical to quixotic, visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

visionary schemes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quixotic Neither of those carrots will entice Sliwa to abandon his quixotic campaign. Ken Frydman, New York Daily News, 30 June 2025 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, 23 June 2025 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 That’s a good question on many levels, especially since Walters (played by Charlie McCullagh) persuaded his wife, Carol (Evelyn Hoskins, in a dominant performance), and his best pal, Ron (Akron Watson), to fund and back his quixotic quest, despite its obvious risks to life and limb. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for quixotic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quixotic
Adjective
  • Rent pedal boats and kayaks, take a glass-bottom boat tour, or go on a romantic gondola cruise around the harbor.
    Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 21 July 2025
  • And a source tells EW that the actor, who also starred on Evil, will play the new object of Andy's romantic affection.
    EW.com, EW.com, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • Agent deployment is impractical, while VDI introduces performance penalties and complexity.
    Etay Maor, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
  • Adelman, who will preside over her trial, suggested in the June 18 hearing that the current schedule was impractical.
    Daniel Bice, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • The idealistic and naively optimistic Superman walks right into the trap.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 11 July 2025
  • Humanitarian workers—many idealistic and committed—fear that sounding the alarm will end operations altogether.
    Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
Adjective
  • Arcane focuses on the story between two sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell), who soon become embroiled in a conflict within their utopian society.
    Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 10 June 2025
  • People always wanted more-more-more from Sly, based on the utopian promises of his songs.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Wish-casting a better result for a confrontation in a different place, Vindman suppresses how much and how often America antagonized Russia through its idealist actions, rather than realist inaction.
    Samuel Moyn, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
  • This, in turn, becomes logically reliant on the idealist paradigm of Consciousness as the fundamental lowest common denominator of reality.
    Carlo Tortora Brayda, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Quixotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quixotic. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.

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