YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME
Quixotic
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Meaning in plain English
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Pronunciation
Quixotic/kwɪkˈsɒtɪk/
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A noble, ambitious dream
No realistic way to achieve it
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Examples in context
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- His quixotic dream of world peace made him a symbol of hope—and naivety.
- Starting a bookstore in the age of e-books may seem quixotic, but her passion kept it alive.
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His ________ dream of world peace made him a symbol of hope—and naivety.
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Quixotic — Exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical—especially in pursuit of noble but unreachable goals.
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Exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical—especially in pursuit of noble but unreachable goals.
Compare: His quixotic dream of world peace made him a symbol of hope—and naivety.
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Quixotic or simply ambitious?
Quixotic usually combines idealism with impracticality. An ambitious plan has a demanding goal; a quixotic plan seems detached from what is realistically achievable. The speaker may admire the motive while doubting the method. It is an evaluation, not proof that a plan must fail.
In context: Their quixotic plan was to clean the entire river in one afternoon with three volunteers.
Try it: Does a difficult goal automatically make a project quixotic?
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No. Difficulty alone is not enough. Explain what makes the idealistic plan impractical before choosing this word.
Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Quixotic.
Word origin
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