Quixotic

Quixotic
Quixotic Quix*ot"ic (kw[i^]ks*[o^]t"[i^]k), a. 1. Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; prone to pursue unrealizable goals; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded. See also {quixotism}. ``Feats of quixotic gallantry.'' --Prescott. [1913 Webster]

2. Like the deeds of Don Quixote; ridiculously impractical; unachievable; extravagantly romantic; doomed to failure; as, a quixotic quest. [PJC]

The word ``quixotic'' . . . has entered the common language, with the meaning ``hopelessly naive and idealistic,'' ``ridiculously impractical,'' ``doomed to fail.'' That this epithet can be used now in an exclusively pejorative sense not only shows that we have ceased to read Cervantes and to understand his character, but more fundamentally it reveals that our culture has drifted away from its spiritual roots. --Simon Leys (N. Y. Review of Books, June 11, 1998, p. 35) [PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • quixotic — adjective chimerical, dreamy, fanciful, idealistic, illusory, impracticable, impractical, mad, notional, quixotical, romantic, unrealistic, Utopian, visionary Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • quixotic — (adj.) extravagantly chivalrous, 1791, from Don Quixote, romantic, impractical hero of Cervantes satirical novel Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605). His name lit. means thigh, also a cuisse (a piece of armor for the thigh), in Mod.Sp. quijote, from… …   Etymology dictionary

  • quixotic — chimerical, fantastic, visionary, fanciful, *imaginary Analogous words: *sentimental, romantic: Utopian, *ambitious: ideal, transcendental, *abstract …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • quixotic — [adj] idealistic chimerical, chivalrous, dreaming, dreamy, foolish, impetuous, impractical, impulsive, romantic, starry eyed, unrealistic, utopian, visionary; concepts 529,560,582 …   New thesaurus

  • quixotic — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ impractically idealistic or fanciful. DERIVATIVES quixotically adverb quixotism noun. ORIGIN from the name of Don Quixote, hero of Cervantes romance (1605 15) …   English terms dictionary

  • quixotic — [kwik sät′ik] adj. 1. [often Q ] of or like Don Quixote 2. extravagantly chivalrous or foolishly idealistic; visionary; impractical or impracticable: also quixotical quixotically adv …   English World dictionary

  • quixotic — quix|ot|ic [kwıkˈsɔtık US ˈsa: ] adj [Date: 1700 1800; Origin: Don Quixote, main character of the book Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605) by Spanish writer Cervantes] quixotic ideas or plans are not practical and are based on unreasonable hopes of… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • quixotic — quix|ot|ic [ kwık satık ] adjective MAINLY LITERARY ideas or plans that are quixotic are not practical and usually do not succeed: a quixotic plan to end the violence …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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