Don Quixote
Americannoun
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the hero of a novel by Cervantes who was inspired by lofty and chivalrous but impractical ideals.
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(italics) (Don Quixote de la Mancha ) the novel itself (1605 and 1615).
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Discover More
A person who is both idealistic and impractical is often said to be “quixotic.”
Etymology
Origin of Don Quixote
after the hero of Cervantes' Don Quixote de la Mancha
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But he’s more of a Don Quixote tilting at windmills because his solutions amount to the same level of self-delusion.
From Salon
“When the Going Was Good” is at its best when Carter is the underdog biting at ankles, or a Don Quixote who learns to tilt at the right windmills.
From Los Angeles Times
During his tenure Shklyarov had impressed with contemporary and classical ballets alike, ranging from “The Nutcracker” and “Don Quixote” to George Balanchine’s “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux” and “Jewels.”
From Los Angeles Times
Over 20 years with the company, he danced leads across several productions, including Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.
From BBC
DePrince seemingly knew no bounds on stage as she executed pieces — from ballet classics including “Don Quixote,” “Swan Lake” and “Coppélia” to George Balanchine‘s “Who Cares” and “Jewels” — with undeniable grace, strength and precision.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
