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View synonyms for quixotic

quixotic

[ kwik-sot-ik ]

adjective

  1. extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.

    Synonyms: imaginary, fantastic, fanciful

    Antonyms: practical, realistic

  2. impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.
  3. (sometimes initial capital letter) resembling or befitting Don Quixote ( def ).


quixotic

/ ˈkwɪksəˌtɪzəm; kwɪkˈsɒtɪk /

adjective

  1. preoccupied with an unrealistically optimistic or chivalrous approach to life; impractically idealistic
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • quixˈotically, adverb
  • quixotism, noun
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Other Words From

  • quix·oti·cal·ly adverb
  • half-quix·otic adjective
  • half-quix·oti·cal·ly adverb
  • unquix·otic adjective
  • unquix·oti·cal adjective
  • unquix·oti·cal·ly adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of quixotic1

First recorded in 1805–15; (Don) Quixote + -ic
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Word History and Origins

Origin of quixotic1

C18: after Don Quixote
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Example Sentences

At 65, Farrell is the elder statesman of the bunch, yet energetic and full of oddball quixotic charm.

But no one wanted to walk away from the idea, however quixotic it sometimes seemed.

Three months in, it remains a quixotic quest.

In just two years, Bannon’s precinct strategy had gone from a quixotic scheme to a reality.

From Salon

At 34, Matt Smith is a widower and amateur botanist whose grief and passion are fueling a quest some might call quixotic — to photograph every plant native to Los Angeles County.

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Quixotequixotism