Synonyms of quixotic

quixotic

adjective

kwik-ˈsä-tik 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• romantic
• impractical
• idealistic
• utopian
• idealist
• ideological
• optimistic
• ideologic
• quixotical
• visionary
• starry
• starry-eyed
• hopeful
• zealous
• unrealistic
• sentimental
• messianic
• crusading
• moony
• moonstruck
• Pollyannish
• rosy
• doctrinaire
• upbeat
• Pollyannaish
• tender-minded
• dewy-eyed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsentimental
• pragmatic
• hardheaded
• practical
• realistic
• clear-eyed
• pragmatical
• clear-sighted
• tough-minded
• hard-nosed

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

Recent Examples of quixotic

As so began a quixotic quest, snowballing into winter, cheered by skiers and snowboarders in Oregon and beyond, to raise about $200 million and wrest Mt. Bachelor from the corporate titans of a consolidating industry. —John Branch, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

The goal should not be eradicating EOL—a quixotic effort—but rather determining and defending acceptable risk. —Ismail Amla, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

Jim’s funneling of his grief into a quixotic search for certainty, rather than moving on, is as much a thematic trope as his wall crammed with data and theories is a visual one. —Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Jan. 2025

With Mayor Michelle Wu’s increasingly quixotic attempt to raise commercial taxes set to come before the Senate for a third time again Monday, the Joint Revenue Committee chair weighed in on the issue with cold feet on Sunday. —Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 9 Dec. 2024

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