# quixotic

Pronunciation: say "kwik-SOT-ik" US /kwɪkˈsɑtɪk/, UK /kwɪkˈsɒtɪk/

## Adjective

1. Idealistic to a fault, like Cervantes's Don Quixote, and driven by a wish to do noble, romantic deeds with no thought for what is realistic or practical.
   - Simple: Trying to do brave, noble things without thinking about whether they are possible, like Don Quixote.
   - _Opening an independent bookstore next to a giant mall struck her friends as quixotic, but she did it anyway._
   - _The senator's quixotic campaign against the entire tax code won admirers but no votes._

## Noun

2. A person who pursues noble ideals with no regard for what is practical, or a sentiment of that kind. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A dreamer who chases noble but impossible goals, or a hope of the same kind.

## Origin

Don Quixote, the hero whose name is the title of Miguel de Cervantes's novel, gives the word its base. English added -ic to his Spanish surname, Quixote.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/quixotic (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).