as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
an idealist attempt to make a go of a mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world
an idealist sees the best in everyone, regardless of how they behave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of idealist
Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2023
Although Oppenheimer represented the idealist wing, who thought development of the bomb might lead to some good end, many of the physicists justified their work on purely empirical grounds.
—Longreads, 20 July 2023
Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 4 Oct. 2024
Had Coppola focused on the dilemma of a white idealist challenged and intimidated by a black political power player, setting off political subterfuge that nearly destroys the dynasty Cesar was born to, Megalopolis might have ignited pop recognition and excitement.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for idealist 
Adjective
Sweet floral scents have the same energy as their positive, idealist outlook on life.
—Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2023
Although Oppenheimer represented the idealist wing, who thought development of the bomb might lead to some good end, many of the physicists justified their work on purely empirical grounds.
—Longreads, 20 July 2023
Noun
During the Vietnam War, the hippie enclave of Nelson became a haven for American draft dodgers, drawing even more progressive idealists and non-conformists, and cementing the town’s contrarian Zeitgeist.
—Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 4 Oct. 2024
Had Coppola focused on the dilemma of a white idealist challenged and intimidated by a black political power player, setting off political subterfuge that nearly destroys the dynasty Cesar was born to, Megalopolis might have ignited pop recognition and excitement.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for idealist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealist
Adjective
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His wife becomes the damsel to rescue, and the once spiky Helly, who surprised Mark’s innie with a kiss last season, falls into place as her wistful romantic rival.Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
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Going against tradition, Louie decides to invite Irene to this typically men-only celebration — an early montage implies their romantic relationship runs on an odd, maybe even disturbing dynamic.Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In 1980, The Times noted, a report that two hefty gold nuggets had turned up in the Sierra Madre foothills sent a new generation of dreamers back into the hills.Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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On the night of March 9, the 22-year-old country music dreamer phoned his friend Kevin Hughes, who worked as the chart director at Cash Box magazine.Keith Sharon, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Even under the most idealistic conditions, Google said a classical computer would still take a billion years to get the same results as its newest chip.Stephen Nellis, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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Obrist’s frenzied devotion reflected his conviction that everything should be linked, his idealistic belief in the humanist possibilities of the internet and of globalization.Dean Kissick, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For instance, unused network segments can be powered down temporarily to save energy, a task that would be impractical to manage manually across thousands of network sites.Robert Backhouse, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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Experts dismiss an analogous design for the U.S. as impractical—Israel's defenses are vastly different to the U.S. for several reasons, not least the size of the country and who is doing the targeting.Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The film revisits Puerto Rico’s utopian moment through the lens of rural filmmaking in the 1950s and 60s.Leo Barraclough, Variety, 9 Jan. 2025
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Lobo is an alien mercenary and bounty hunter from the utopian planet of Czarnia in the DC comics.Brian Welk, IndieWire, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Modi’s educational priorities appear to be mostly ideological.Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025
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The Bekaa Valley is not only one of the Party of God’s strongholds, but also its ideological birthplace, where Iran and its Revolutionary Guards helped train Shiite militants shortly after Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982.Youmna Melhem Chamieh, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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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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If not the quixotic quest for the playoffs, then as a testament to quality for players and coaches and a momentum starter for the 2025 season.Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near idealist
Cite this Entry
“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealist. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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