dulcinea
Definition
Noun: 1. A man's sweetheart or ladylove: A poetic or literary term for a woman who is the object of a man's romantic affection or devotion. The word carries connotations of idealization and courtly love.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- He wrote sonnets praising the virtues of his dulcinea.
- In his eyes, she was not just a friend but his dulcinea, his perfect ideal.
Advanced Usage
- As a proper noun (Dulcinea): The word originates from the name of the character Dulcinea del Toboso in Miguel de Cervantes' novel . Don Quixote idealizes a peasant woman, Aldonza Lorenzo, and renames her Dulcinea, regarding her as his perfect, noble lady love. Therefore, using "dulcinea" often evokes this literary allusion to an idealized, perhaps unattainable, beloved.
- His quest was as quixotic as his devotion to his personal Dulcinea.
Variants and Related Words
- Dulcinea (proper noun): The specific literary character from .
Synonyms
- Sweetheart: A person loved by another.
- Ladylove: A woman who is someone's beloved.
- Inamorata: A woman with whom one is in love (a literary term).
- Beloved: A dearly loved person.
Related Idioms
- One's Dulcinea: Used to refer to a man's idealized beloved.
- He spent his life searching for his Dulcinea, a woman who existed only in his imagination.
Noun
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a woman who is a man's sweetheart
