Don Quixote

noun

Don Qui·​xote ˌdän-kē-ˈ(h)ō-tē How to pronounce Don Quixote (audio)
ˌdäŋ-;
 chiefly British  dän-ˈkwik-sət
: an impractical idealist

Examples of Don Quixote in a Sentence

a latter-day Don Quixote, she's spent her life fighting the state's big logging companies
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Dalí lithographs are on display, and each room showcases Gustave Doré’s drawings from a historic copy of Don Quixote. Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 Proud of his roots, Mr. Escobar compared the city’s residents to the character Don Quixote, who also hails from the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain. Liam Stack, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 In the musical’s book, Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes entertains his fellow prison inmates with his tale of Don Quixote, an elderly and confused but optimistic man who imagines himself a knight on a quest to battle giants and protect fair maidens. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2025 Mexican wrestlers crisscross the region, performing at the nightclub Don Quixote, the Ukrainian Cultural Center and other venues from Boyle Heights to Carson to Irvine. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for Don Quixote

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, hero of Cervantes' Don Quixote

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Don Quixote was in 1630

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Don Quixote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Don%20Quixote. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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