quixotic

/kwik'sɔtik/

Thân thiện

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Idealistic and unrealistic: Characterized by or given to noble but impractical ideals, often to an extravagant or foolish degree.
   • Impractically romantic: Pursuing lofty, chivalrous, or romantic goals without regard for practical considerations or common sense.

Usage and Examples

• General Usage:
  • His quixotic quest to end world hunger through poetry alone was admired but ultimately unsuccessful.
  • The project was dismissed as a quixotic endeavor, too ambitious and unrealistic given the budget.
• Describing a Person:
  • She was a quixotic figure, always championing lost causes with unwavering optimism.
  • Don't be so quixotic; we need a plan that actually works in the real world.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The term often carries a tone of admiration for the purity of the idealism, mixed with criticism for its impracticality. It describes a person or endeavor that is nobly but foolishly unrealistic.
• "quixotically" (adverb): In an idealistic and unrealistic manner.
  • He quixotically believed he could single-handedly reform the entire political system.

Variants and Related Words

• Quixotism (noun): The quality or state of being quixotic; impractical idealism.
  • His actions were a testament to his quixotism.
• Quixote (noun, often capitalized): A person who is quixotic, named after the literary character Don Quixote. This is typically used in literary contexts.
  • He was a modern-day Quixote, tilting at windmills of corporate greed.

Synonyms

• Idealistic: Having high ideals, sometimes to an impractical degree.
• Unrealistic: Not based on practical or achievable ideas.
• Visionary: Thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom (can be positive, whereas often implies a negative judgment on feasibility).
• Impractical: Not adapted for use or action; not sensible or realistic.
• Romantic: Imaginative but unrealistic.

Antonyms

• Practical: Concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas.
• Realistic: Having a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved or expected.
• Pragmatic: Dealing with things sensibly and realistically based on practical considerations.

Idioms and Cultural References

• "Tilting at windmills": This idiom, derived directly from the story of Don Quixote, is a close conceptual synonym for engaging in battles. It means attacking imaginary enemies or fighting futile battles.
  • In arguing with the internet troll, he was just tilting at windmills.
• The word "quixotic" itself originates from the name of the protagonist, Don Quixote, in Miguel de Cervantes' 17th-century novel. Don Quixote is a nobleman who, after reading too many chivalric romances, sets out on absurd adventures to revive chivalry, famously attacking windmills he believes are giants.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic
   • as quixotic as a restoration of medieval knighthood
   • a romantic disregard for money
   • a wild-eyed dream of a world state

Từ đồng nghĩa

• romantic
• wild-eyed