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
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
Neither will starry-eyed dreams of Venezuelan oil profits.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
This time around, Lily Collins' starry-eyed striver is setting up shop in Rome.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
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
Neither will starry-eyed dreams of Venezuelan oil profits.
—Jamie Holmes, Twin Cities, 22 Jan. 2026
This time around, Lily Collins' starry-eyed striver is setting up shop in Rome.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starry-eyed
Adjective
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Calgary, Alberta The third-largest city by population in Canada, Calgary offers a vibrant destination for literary enthusiasts that is a refreshing change of pace from the often sleepy, romantic bookish towns.—
Lara Kramer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
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The Colleen Hoover adaptation is shaping up to be a modest hit for the studio, which spent $25 million on the romantic drama.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But the brief, costly, impractical service still became one of the most romanticized episodes in American history—a legacy wildly disproportionate to its lifespan.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
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The creator notes the concept suits cabins, RVs, and off-grid structures particularly well — anywhere grid ties are impractical or expensive.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Les' idealistic vision is to use this breakthrough for the good of humanity.—
Sarah Rodman,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Mar. 2026
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Of funny, idealistic, scary-smart workaholics — coming up on three generations of them — who want to make things better by making things better.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This area, which is home to utopian-sounding towns like Thanksgiving Point and American Fork, has more plastic surgeons per capita than Los Angeles, according to a 2017 report published by the Utah Women & Leadership Project.—
Elizabeth Gulino,
Allure,
26 Mar. 2026
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But although these years saw a crisis of the old order and a profusion of utopian or apocalyptic egalitarian thinking, it was still organized around theological rather than economic ideas.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Starry-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starry-eyed. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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