starry-eyed

American  

[stahr-ee-ahyd] / ˈstɑr iˌaɪd /

adjective

1. overly romantic or idealistic.

   He was a starry-eyed dreamer.

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starry-eyed British  

adjective

1. given to naive wishes, judgments, etc; full of unsophisticated optimism; gullible

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Etymology

Origin of starry-eyed

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

starry-eyed

Taking him at his word, I relate to Cruise’s starry-eyed passion for films and all the ways they can bring people together.

From Salon ● Sep. 17, 2026

But he does urge caution for "starry-eyed MBAs" who think they're immune from the risks of failure.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

The mistake starry-eyed investors make at times like this is betting on every horse, or in thinking that they can handicap AI thoroughbreds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

This often results in entertaining, informative work: Acquired, a deeply researched show by two starry-eyed tech investors, regularly tops podcast charts with dives into famous companies.

From Slate ● Apr. 7, 2026

Born in Polish-Ukrainian Galicia, Rabi was the levelheaded physicist who had tartly denounced Strauss’s vendetta against Oppenheimer and had attempted, if fruitlessly, to talk Lawrence and Alvarez down from their starry-eyed pursuit of the Super.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik