idealist

/ai'diəlist/

Thân thiện

An idealist dreams of a world where everyone lives in harmony.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person guided by ideals: An idealist is someone who is guided more by ideals, principles, or a vision of perfection than by practical considerations or realities.
   • A person who believes in idealism: In philosophy, an idealist is someone who believes that ideas, thoughts, or the mind constitute the fundamental reality, or that reality is shaped by the mind.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She was a true idealist who believed in world peace.
  • The young politician was criticized by opponents for being an unrealistic idealist.
  • As a philosophical idealist, he argued that all we know are our own perceptions.

Advanced Usage

• "Starving artist" stereotype: Often used to describe an artist who is an idealist, prioritizing creative vision over commercial success.
  • He lived as a starving artist, an idealist who painted only for the sake of art.
• In contrast to "pragmatist" or "realist": Used to highlight a character trait focused on how things be versus how they .
  • The debate pitted the idealist, who wanted a perfect solution, against the pragmatist, who wanted a workable one.

Variants and Related Words

• Idealism (n): The practice of forming or pursuing ideals, especially unrealistically. Also, the philosophical theory.
  • His idealism was both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.
• Idealistic (adj): Characterized by idealism; unrealistically aiming for perfection.
  • She had an idealistic view of human nature.
• Idealize (v): To regard or represent as perfect or better than in reality.
  • People often idealize their childhood.

Synonyms

• Dreamer: A person who dreams or is impractical.
• Visionary: A person with original ideas about what the future will or could be like (can be positive).
• Utopian: (Often disparaging) A person who imagines or aims for a perfect society.

Antonyms

• Realist: A person who accepts and deals with situations as they really are.
• Pragmatist: A person who is practical and focused on achieving results.
• Cynic: A person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "With one's head in the clouds": To be unrealistic or dreamy, not practical. This idiom often describes an idealist.
  • He's a lovely person, but he has his head in the clouds when it comes to business.

Học thuật

Noun

1. someone guided more by ideals than by practical considerations

Từ đồng nghĩa

• dreamer