as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
an idealist attempt to make a go of a mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world
an idealist sees the best in everyone, regardless of how they behave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of idealist
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
In the new release, Temple plays idealist scientist Dr. Teddy Paine opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor’s General Rex Strickland — the overseer of a secret research facility dedicated to symbiotes.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Chelsea Haney
october 25, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2025
Fifteen years later, Brooks is back with a story about a young idealist trying to balance a professional life in politics with her wacky family.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idealist
Adjective
Labour leader Starmer, though, has taken a realist rather than an idealist approach to the president, putting Britain's foreign policy interests above the strong opposition to Trump in the rank and file of his own party.
—Noun
And the call isn’t just coming from idealists this time – the prestigious science journal Nature is also now arguing for a global rail revival – not as a nostalgic nod to the past, but as a pragmatic cornerstone of climate strategy.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for idealist
Adjective
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While Paris is often framed as endlessly romantic, Wells says the day-to-day realities can be isolating.—
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Safe to say a breakup album is off the table, as the artist is back in her romantic era.—
Noun
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Across cultures and centuries, constellations have been used to explain myths, guide travelers, and inspire dreamers.—
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The Audacity will star Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis, and revolve around everyone in the orbit of tech’s Disneyland, from the makers and dreamers to the billionaires and bosses.—
Adjective
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But, as idealistic and well-intentioned as Remmick might present himself, the vampire will nevertheless take with force what he's not given.—
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Still, the idealistic Isaacson believes the book and that aspirational sentence have plenty to say.—
Adjective
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The designer is based in the Colorado mountains, making outdoor projects impractical during winter.—
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Practical gifts can still feel romantic There’s a misconception that Valentine’s Day requires something impractical, something purely decorative or indulgent.—
Adjective
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Urbano’s installations, radically utopian in this sense, re-create ideal spaces free from the spatiotemporal coordinates and rigid laws that govern our daily lives.—
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This is a scrapbook of utopian folly, yes, but also an insider’s look at what was, for a time, the wildest workplace on Earth.—
Cite this Entry
“Idealist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idealist. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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