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
Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
In addition to being a realist, Ishiba is also an idealist who has never been tainted by scandal, Cucek said.
—Arata Yamamoto, NBC News, 27 Sep. 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
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
In addition to being a realist, Ishiba is also an idealist who has never been tainted by scandal, Cucek said.
—Arata Yamamoto, NBC News, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for idealist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealist
Adjective
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The two had a romantic relationship, according to federal prosecutors. Gratz, 26, of Circle Pines, pleaded guilty to the same charge in September 2022.Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 12 Nov. 2024
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Scavenger Hunt Challenges include a chance to recreate the Cardigan music video, a Shake It Off dance challenge, a Fearless pose, and a romantic Love Story re-enactment.Miriam Porter, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Big dreamers have busy minds, need the intense focus of their dreams to carry them through life as far as possible.Jim Clash, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
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From Chicken Man’s perspective, this guy was a dreamer.Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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At their best, these leaders make up an idealistic safeguard against the rampant disinformation, foreign interference, and just base political nihilism that is clogging the conversations about whether the vote tallies this week can be trusted.Philip Elliott, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024
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The past month in Lebanon, like the past year in Gaza, has demonstrated that Israel’s leaders have no idealistic pretensions about establishing a new political order in Lebanon or in the Strip.Mohanad Hage Ali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The company continues to evaluate avenues for mitigating internal control weaknesses but has deemed complete mitigation impractical due to its limited staff size.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
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The standoff between Blanche’s impractical aestheticism and Stanley’s ruthless pragmatism is the heart of this quintessentially American drama.Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Ironically, such utopian expectations of falling health care costs had been spotted way back in the 1990s by my colleague Trevor Harris at Columbia.Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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The sci-fi fantasy drama stars Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina, a visionary architect intent on saving a declining New York City by building a utopian future, dislodging the elite ruling class in the process.Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Another motivation was Watson’s ideological commitments.Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 21 Nov. 2024
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Analysts have proposed several different explanations for those shifts, including sexism within communities of color, pessimistic views of the economy and inflation, disinformation, social class and the ongoing ideological sorting of nonwhite conservatives into the Republican Party.Michael Tesler, ABC News, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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First, an anecdote about my battle, mostly quixotic, against tax credits.Roger Valdez, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
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In June 2020, the Small Arms Survey made a quixotic attempt to map the main alliances and rivalries among South Sudanese elites.Jason K. Stearns, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
Thesaurus Entries Near idealist
Cite this Entry
“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealist. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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