as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
the starry-eyed notion that international sports competitions actually help foster global harmony
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Recent Examples of starry-eyed
There is a starry-eyed optimism in the gesture that emphasizes the darker manipulations of their relationship.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Even amid dismal ratings for the US government overall, views of NASA remain relatively starry-eyed.
—Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
It had supposedly been made in the nineteen-forties, for an Italian countess or an English lady, then scrapped, and afterward either smuggled out of the workroom by a starry-eyed seamstress or, with the atelier head’s approval, given to one of the in-house models.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday night, as the NFL world reeled with the Maxx Crosby news and the NBA was starry-eyed at Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, the rest of us were watching Team Italy embarrass the good ol’ US of A with an 8-6 win in the World Baseball Classic.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
But Sexistential, released in March, pushes in the opposite direction, toward starry-eyed excess and abandon.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
Jasmine January gives a sweet, starry-eyed performance as Rosemary, the ever-patient secretary who loves Finch despite his indifference to her feelings.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Carrie Underwood will once again be seated at the judges’ table, having joined the cast in 2025 when Katy Perry signed off after seven seasons, as starry-eyed hopefuls compete for a $250,000 prize and a chance at a recording contract.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Even amid dismal ratings for the US government overall, views of NASA remain relatively starry-eyed.
—Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
It had supposedly been made in the nineteen-forties, for an Italian countess or an English lady, then scrapped, and afterward either smuggled out of the workroom by a starry-eyed seamstress or, with the atelier head’s approval, given to one of the in-house models.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday night, as the NFL world reeled with the Maxx Crosby news and the NBA was starry-eyed at Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, the rest of us were watching Team Italy embarrass the good ol’ US of A with an 8-6 win in the World Baseball Classic.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
But Sexistential, released in March, pushes in the opposite direction, toward starry-eyed excess and abandon.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
Jasmine January gives a sweet, starry-eyed performance as Rosemary, the ever-patient secretary who loves Finch despite his indifference to her feelings.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Carrie Underwood will once again be seated at the judges’ table, having joined the cast in 2025 when Katy Perry signed off after seven seasons, as starry-eyed hopefuls compete for a $250,000 prize and a chance at a recording contract.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starry-eyed
Adjective
-
Not artists — nurses, teachers, baristas Imas is careful to distinguish his argument from a romantic vision of a world full of painters and performers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The realities and challenges that come with romantic relationships are something Tierney is notably looking forward to unpacking in season two.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And it’s set in a snowy wintertime, which would have been impractical and expensive in live action, but pays all kinds of benefits in terms of staging and mood.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
This design enables use across a range of environments—from outdoor gatherings to event spaces—where traditional wine cooling methods may be impractical or inconsistent.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Edward Montoya plays Fingal as an idealistic young writer, fresh out of Harvard, with little practical experience but a lot of ability and gumption.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Tom Steyer is too focused on bringing about idealistic policy outcomes to be sensitive to the worldly conditions that will make their implementation detrimental.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The red planet is the apple of Elon Musk’s eye, with utopian concepts for a Mars settlement to go along with SpaceX’s more tangible work on a massive rocket to actually fly there.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
-
The public discussion still swings between utopian promise and apocalyptic dread.—
Barry R. Davis,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Starry-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starry-eyed. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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