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

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.
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 See all Example Sentences for quixotic 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quixotic
Adjective
  • Less than two years after making Memory, in which Jessica Chastain falls for a man with galloping dementia, Mexican director Michel Franco has once again set her on a romantic obstacle course in which nothing, including her own moral compass, runs smoothly.
    Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 15 Feb. 2025
  • But anybody who's ever been in a relationship or been torn between potential significant others can relate to the romantic travails of British singleton Bridget Jones.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet these technologies mostly proved impractical for broader application.
    Raphael S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2025
  • Many Spanish businesses anticipate a slowdown in August and plan accordingly, whereas in the U.S., businesses remain open year-round, making extended closures impractical.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Finn’s friends refuse to take him seriously, but Annie is more idealistic, responding to something in the man’s personality.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
  • Located just 15 minutes from Portland, the pet-friendly resort offers vacationers an idealistic Maine escape with the convenience of exploring both the city and coast.
    Eliseé Browchuk, Vogue, 3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s a socialist utopian fantasy as shown by Canada, where wait times to get procedures averaged 30 weeks in 2024.
    John Seiler, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Normally, Davos is a hotbed of planners and self-congratulatory humanitarians who dream up utopian schemes that then can be imposed from the top down by governments.
    John Fund, National Review, 4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • In the new release, Temple plays idealist scientist Dr. Teddy Paine opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor’s General Rex Strickland — the overseer of a secret research facility dedicated to symbiotes.
    Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
  • The movie stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, an idealist architect with the power to control time, who is determined to rebuild a city that seems like New York after an accident plunges it into ruins.
    Marco della Cava, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near quixotic

Cite this Entry

“Quixotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quixotic. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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