definition of quixotic literature

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[ kwik- sot -ik ]

Synonyms: imaginary , fantastic , fanciful

Antonyms: practical , realistic

• impulsive and often rashly unpredictable.
• (sometimes initial capital letter) resembling or befitting Don Quixote ( def ) .

/ ˈkwɪksəˌtɪzəm; kwɪkˈsɒtɪk /

• preoccupied with an unrealistically optimistic or chivalrous approach to life; impractically idealistic

Discover More

Derived forms.

• quixˈotically , adverb
• quixotism , noun

Other Words From

• quix·oti·cal·ly adverb
• half-quix·otic adjective
• half-quix·oti·cal·ly adverb
• unquix·otic adjective
• unquix·oti·cal adjective
• unquix·oti·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of quixotic 1

Example Sentences

Yet his goofy, quixotic, quintessentially American optimism earned the character a following.

For months, he was semi-mocked for the seeming quixotic quirkiness of his coffee fasts and weight loss.

The man who wants America to “think harder” has parlayed his quixotic presidential campaign into front-runner status in New York’s mayoral election.

With cities and states charting a declining demand for doses, some have turned to these audacious, outlandish and perhaps quixotic incentives to lure in vaccine apathetes.

This broad group of politically homeless citizens is a tribe trying to transcend tribalism—and while that may sound quixotic, that is the story of America.

Some of his political actions can, in retrospect, seem quixotic, but they speak to an admirable courage of conviction.

“Dana has become increasingly quixotic through the years,” a GOP Hill source lamented to the Beast.

Resolve that this can and should be the year that zero preschoolers go hungry based on your quixotic grandstanding.

Of course, his quixotic crusade to defund Obamacare will surely fail, but it made for some good TV.

In November 2007, though, Dutschke seemed to realize his campaign was quixotic.

It was Quixotic, and two hundred years ago could scarcely have escaped the pen of some French Cervantes.

Success to you, but don't for a moment think of carrying out that quixotic plan you first mentioned.

The quixotic are rarely successful, and success is the measure by which everything is judged to-day.

Don Quixote was always doing generous but rather foolish things, and the adjective quixotic now describes this sort of action.

She must not let herself be swept away by any quixotic sentiment.

Related Words

• impractical
• unrealistic

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Meaning of quixotic in English

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• aimlessness
• fruitlessly
• fruitlessness
• no good idiom
• unrealistic
• unrealistically
• unseriousness
• until you are blue in the face idiom
• unviability

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Quixotic | american dictionary, examples of quixotic, translations of quixotic.

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Definition of quixotic

Did you know.

Quixotic Has Roots in Literature

If you guessed that quixotic has something to do with Don Quixote , you're absolutely right. The hero of Miguel de Cervantes ' 17th-century Spanish novel El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (in English "The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha") didn't change the world by tilting at windmills , but he did leave a linguistic legacy in English. The adjective quixotic is based on his name and has been used to describe unrealistic idealists since at least the early 18th century. The novel has given English other words as well. Dulcinea , the name of Quixote's beloved, has come to mean "mistress" or "sweetheart," and rosinante , which is sometimes used to refer to an old horse, comes from the name of the hero's less-than-gallant steed, Rocinante.

• starry-eyed

imaginary , fanciful , visionary , fantastic , chimerical , quixotic mean unreal or unbelievable.

imaginary applies to something which is fictitious and purely the product of one's imagination.

fanciful suggests the free play of the imagination.

visionary stresses impracticality or incapability of realization.

fantastic implies incredibility or strangeness beyond belief.

chimerical combines the implication of visionary and fantastic .

quixotic implies a devotion to romantic or chivalrous ideals unrestrained by ordinary prudence and common sense.

Examples of quixotic in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quixotic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Don Quixote

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Dictionary Entries Near quixotic

Cite this entry.

“Quixotic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quixotic. Accessed 5 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of quixotic.

from Don Quixote, hero of the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Cervantes

More from Merriam-Webster on quixotic

Nglish: Translation of quixotic for Spanish Speakers

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Understanding the Quixotic: Exploring Idealism and Realism in English Literature

Explain the definition of “quixotic” and use it in a sentence..

The term “quixotic” is used to describe someone who is idealistic, romantic, or visionary in an impractical or unrealistic way. It often implies a disregard for practical considerations or an overemphasis on noble ideals. The word derives from the character Don Quixote, created by Miguel de Cervantes, who was known for his delusional pursuit of chivalric adventures.

Example sentence: Despite knowing the difficulty of bringing lasting peace to a war-torn region, the idealistic politician remained quixotic in his belief that diplomacy alone could solve all conflicts.

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Quixotic: A Journey through History, Definition, and Examples

• Blog Detail

  Quixotic

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.

Synonyms: Romantic, visionary, fanciful, dreamy

Transcription:  /kwik-sot-ik/

History and Definition:

The term " quixotic " finds its roots in Cervantes' masterpiece, "Don Quixote," published in 1605. The novel narrates the tale of an aging knight who, inspired by chivalric romances, embarks on a series of adventures to restore justice and honor. Don Quixote's endeavors, often impractical and fueled by his delusional imagination, became the archetype of quixotic behavior.

" Quixotic " is defined as pursuing ideals or dreams with an unwavering determination, even in the face of adversity or rational reasoning. It denotes an individual or action that is driven by noble intentions but lacks practicality, often disregarding the constraints of reality.

Examples in Sentences:

• Despite the overwhelming odds, the environmentalist remained quixotic in his pursuit of saving the endangered species.
• The young artist's quixotic aspirations of single-handedly revolutionizing the art world captured the attention of many but raised skepticism among seasoned critics.
• The political activist's quixotic quest for absolute equality disregarded the complexities of societal structures and economic realities.
• She embarked on a quixotic journey to travel the world without any money, relying solely on the kindness of strangers.
• His quixotic devotion to finding the elusive fountain of youth led him on a never-ending quest spanning continents and centuries.

The term " quixotic " has evolved from Cervantes' novel to embody the spirit of idealism, audacity, and a disregard for practicality. While it often represents noble pursuits, it also serves as a reminder of the importance of balancing dreams with a realistic understanding of the world. Quixotic individuals continue to inspire, challenge societal norms, and remind us of the power of imagination, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

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Definition of quixotic adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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The quixotic eighteenth century

2022, Literature Compass

“Quixotism” is a term pivotal to the histories critics tell about literature. Despite a scholarly consensus regarding the significance of quixotism to eighteenth-century transatlantic writing, there remain vast discrepancies in critical formulations of what quixotism actually is, to the point where trying to find common ground in different scholars' definitions of quixotism might appear, at first glance, a quixotic endeavour. Yet scholarship on quixotism persistently returns to dichotomies: romance versus the novel; the exceptional versus the typical; the original versus the copy; reason versus imagination. Quixotism remains both vexing question and floating signifier, caught between character and genre, system and allusion as it traverses and transforms eighteenth-century literature and culture. In this article I will both reflect on the state of quixotic studies in eighteenth-century studies and offer an account of Don Quixote's place in the history of literary criticism and theory.

Related Papers

Eighteenth-Century Studies

Stephen Ahern

Ernesto Oyarbide

Amelia Dale

English interpretations, appropriations, and transpositions of the figure of Don Quixote play a pivotal role in eighteenth-century constructions of so-called English national character. A corpus of quixotic narratives worked to reinforce the centrality of Don Quixote and the practice of quixotism in the national literary landscape.

Miriam Borham-Puyal

Women writers in eighteenth century England had to deal with accusations of immorality and perversion of young female minds, due to the alleged subversion of their role as "domestic" and "invisible" women. Charlotte Lennox chose to approach quixotism in her most celebrated novel, "The Female Quixote", or, the "Adventures of Arabella" (1752), to create an appealing heroine whose literary delusions allowed her to experience freedom and power for the first time in her life. Lennox, as other writers would do following her example, employed that momentary escape from constraint, the subsequent punishment of her heroine and her final return to reason, to make a statement on her status as a woman writer, as well as to consolidate herself as a respectable one. Moreover, by so doing, she transformed completely the concept of "Quixote" and proved an important transition in the quixotic tradition towards a more romantic heroine.

Laberinto Journal

Daniel Holcombe

Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction

Patrick R . Query

In this essay, I use Ian McEwan’s 1997 novel Enduring Love to indicate the way McEwan turns the theme of appearance and reality established in Don Quixote from a herald of radical freedom into an instrument of skepticism, containment, and control. Whereas the Quixote used fictionality to open liberatory pathways not only for Don Quixote and other characters but also for readers, McEwan’s novels use the tools of fiction to foreclose the imaginative flights indicative of hope. Although McEwan’s novels are as stylistically accomplished and as adept at manipulating the play of appearance and reality as any in the English language, they serve a political program of reaction, one related to class prejudice and, perhaps surprisingly, to McEwan’s atheism and love of science. The relationship of McEwan’s characters to fictional truth is, like the author’s, nu-anced and complex. No novelist can entirely disavow fictionality, but in Enduring Love, Atonement, and Sweet Tooth McEwan consistently treats fiction—sometimes coded as fantasy, mystery, imagination, or faith—either as a symptom of derangement or as a means of redirecting readers toward the truth of rationality, objectivity, and materiality. If Don Quixote charges in the name of imagination and hope, McEwan’s novels stand for the windmills that unmount him.

Christine Gerrard

Scholars have long since identified a quixotic mode in fiction, acknowledging the widespread influence of Miguel de Cervantes' Don Quixote (1605-15) on subsequent texts. In most cases, “quixotic” signifies a preponderance of allusions to Don Quixote in a given text, such that most studies of “quixotic fictions” or “quixotic influence” are primarily taxonomic in purpose and in outcome: they name and catalogue a text or group of texts as “quixotic,” then argue that, by virtue of the vast and protean influence of Don Quixote, the quixotic mode in fiction is always divided, lacking any semblance of ideological consistency. I argue, however, that the very characteristics of Don Quixote that make him such an attractive literary model for such a broad range of narratives—his bookish idealism, his fixation on the upper-classed grandiosity of the lives of noble knights—also form the consistent, ideological groundwork of quixotism: the exceptionalist substitution of fictive idealism for m...

Conor Brendan Dunne

This essay argues that Charlotte Lennox’s The Female Quixote or, The Adventures of Arabella (1752) served as a fulcrum in eighteenth-century literary history by providing a figuration of the female quixote for subsequent women novelists who were keen to court absorbed readers on the one hand while countering stereotypes about women's critical failings on the other. The figure of the female quixote proves to be a significant mark of literary professionalism by reifying the spectre of the professional writer’s need for absorbed readers and dramatizing the occasion by which the woman writer demonstrates her own authority, paradoxically allowing both woman novel reader and woman novel writer to lay claim to intellectual authority. Ultimately, the main character Arabella's fictional model potentially echoes more actual eighteenth-century women’s experiences than her adventures at first suggest: the female quixote emerges as less a social outcast or a freak than a figure for women...

Magdalena Barbaruk

Don Quixote is back again, notices Magdalena Barbaruk tracing the resurgence of the knight errant in the contemporary humanities. In the aftermath of World War Two, the figure underwent the most radical re-interpretation since Romanticism. These changes speak volumes about our culture. The Long Shadow of Don Quixote is a pioneering, cultural studies-driven reading of Quixotism. Drawing on the theoretical framework of the specifically Polish variety of cultural studies, it makes Don Quixote a patron of cultural reflection. With culture conceptualised as performative, Quixotism is “the cultivation of the soul,” an axiotic space which forms human ways of life across epochs. In this way, the history of culture can be re-written as a history of a values frenzy, bibliomania or evil.

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quixotic adjective & noun

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What does the word quixotic mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the word quixotic . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the word quixotic ?

How is the word quixotic pronounced?

British english, u.s. english, where does the word quixotic come from.

Earliest known use

early 1700s

The earliest known use of the word quixotic is in the early 1700s.

OED's earliest evidence for quixotic is from 1718, in the writing of Nicholas Amhurst, satirist and political writer.

quixotic is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: Quixote n. , ‑ic suffix .

Nearby entries

• quiveringly, adv. 1594–
• quiverish, adj. 1582–
• quiverly, adv. Old English–1637
• quiverness, n. ?1548–81
• quivertip, n. 1974–
• quiver tree, n. 1789–
• quivery, adj. 1833–
• qui vive, n. 1726–
• Quixote, n. & adj. 1644–
• Quixote, v. 1702–1831
• quixotic, adj. & n. 1718–
• quixotical, adj. 1657–
• quixoticism, n. 1850–
• Quixoting, n. 1803–69
• quixotish, adj. 1743–
• quixotism, n. 1620–
• quixotize, v. 1800–
• quixotry, n. 1703–
• quiz, n. 1780–
• quiz, v.¹ 1787–
• quiz, v.² 1866

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for quixotic, adj. & n..

quixotic, adj. & n. was revised in June 2008.

quixotic, adj. & n. was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into quixotic, adj. & n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1902)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View quixotic, a. (n.) in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for quixotic, adj. & n., browse entry.

#1: Quixotic

Definition:

: idealistic and utterly impractical;  especially  : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or chivalrous action doomed to fail

About the Word:

The novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes (published in 1605 and 1615), is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of literature ever. It also has given us a small, but useful, batch of words and phrases for describing that special kind of person who is unencumbered by common sense and the notion that grand gestures are often impractical.

The name of the hero of this work, Don Quixote , is used as a term for an impractical idealist. Used without the honorific Don, quixote by itself also refers to a quixotic person. And most common of all is that adjective, quixotic , used to refer to a person who is always "tilting at windmills" (a phrase denoting fighting imagined or illusory foes, taken from a scene in the book where Quixote attacks a windmill, thinking it a giant).

"Now, the wretched 'guardian' is himself deeply in love with the willful Margaret, and his Quixotic attempts to hasten her union with another man are mainly prompted by the feeling that it would be dishonourable for him to seek the hand of the wealthiest woman in England when he himself owes all he possesses to the generosity of her father." — The Speaker , 22 July 1899

— Ammon Shea

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What does It Mean to be Quixotic?

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Quixotic is a term derived from the unrealistically idealistic character of Don Quixote in Cervantes' 17th century novel Don Quixote de la Mancha . The term refers to a person whose ideals are huge but who lacks practical or reasonable understanding about why such ideals cannot be achieved.

Some definitions further add that a person who is quixotic is impulsive, capricious, or a dreamer of impossible dreams, as per the Man of La Mancha song. Further, this individual might have no regard for money, and might be an elaborate spender or eschew the riches of the world.

Additionally, a person who is chivalrous to the point of absurdity might be termed quixotic. For example, a man who knocks people out of the way to open a door for lady is absurdly chivalrous, and thus could be said to meet this definition.

Quixotic people are in some ways enviable, as they tend not to be weighed down by the oppression of reality. For example, one can look at the idealistic ambitions of children, which don’t necessarily reflect realism. The two-year-old who wants to grow up and become an astronaut may not understand why such a goal is extremely difficult, but that doesn't mean his or her dreams should be discouraged.

A young girl who wants to grow up and become a Catholic Priest is quixotic in a more true sense. Unless Rome changes its policy, the girl may dream about it as much as she likes but has no possibility of fulfilling her dream. When the girl insists she will grow up to marry a rock star — or even something more unrealistic, like a horse — she is waxing quixotic. It’s a romantic state of dreaminess that has nothing to do with reality. It’s often a deep reach into the longing of the ideal state, and the ideal world, where all things most desired surround a person.

Few still tilt at windmills when the hard realities of life descend on them. Yet many people still entertain hopes that a lottery ticket will make them millionaires or that suddenly the world will become peaceful. Indulging in the occasional idealistic dream is probably helpful since it gives people, if only momentarily, the things they prize most dearly. People who are unable to separate these dreams from reality, however, may need professional help.

Related Articles

• Who is Don Quixote?
• What is Chivalry?
• How can I Become a Better Storyteller?

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Look up a word, learn it forever.

/kwɪkˈsɑdɪk/, /kwɪkˈsɒtɪk/.

Use quixotic for someone or something that is romantic and unrealistic, or possessed by almost impossible hopes. Your quixotic task is easy to understand, if difficult to achieve: establish world peace.

What a wonderful word quixotic is! While it is most often used to mean equally impractical and idealistic, it also has the sense of romantic nobility. Its source is from the great Spanish novel "Don Quixote," whose title character is given to unrealistic schemes and great chivalry. In the middle of a recession and high unemployment, it would be quixotic to imagine that you could quit your job and find another easily.

• adjective not sensible about practical matters; idealistic and unrealistic “as quixotic as a restoration of medieval knighthood” synonyms: romantic , wild-eyed impractical not practical; not workable or not given to practical matters

Nothing's "Quixotic" About This School's Vocabulary Bowl Ambitions

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Vocabulary lists containing quixotic

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quix•ot•ic

Also quix•ot′i•cal,.

• immediateness
• impractical
• knight errantry
• knight-errant
• knight-errantry
• quixotically
• starry-eyed
• unrealistic
• quitclaim deed
• quite a little
• Quito orange
• quiveringly
• quiz program
• quizzically
• quizzification
• Quizzing glass
• quo warranto
• Quivermaker
• quivers with
• Quivira and Cibola
• Quivira and Cíbola
• Quivira National Wildlife Refuge
• Quivira Scout Ranch
• Quixote Transportation Technologies, Inc.
• Quixote, Don
• Quixotic Young Artistic Team
• quiz (one) about (something)
• quiz (one) on (something)
• Quiz Average
• Quiz Bowl Practice Notes
• quiz her about
• quiz her on
• quiz him about
• quiz him on
• Quiz League of London
• Quiz Magic Academy
• Quiz Material Manager Role
• quiz me about
• quiz one about
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• quixotic (adjective)
• a quixotic solution/pursuit
• They had quixotic dreams/visions about the future.

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What does quixotic mean?

Definitions for quixotic kwɪkˈsɒt ɪk quixot·ic, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word quixotic ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

quixotic, romantic, wild-eyed adjective

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"

GCIDE Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Quixotic adjective

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

Wiktionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

quixotic adjective

Possessing or acting with the desire to do noble and romantic deeds, without thought of realism and practicality.

Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded.

Etymology: The surname of Don Quixote, the titular character in the novel by Miguel Cervantes, + -ic

ChatGPT Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Quixotic is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is exceedingly idealistic, unrealistic, and impractical. It's derived from the character Don Quixote, who is known for his fantastic and impractical ideas. Hence, it often indicates a kind of foolish, yet noble, devotion to lofty or romantic ideals, often disregarding practical considerations.

Webster Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded

Wikidata Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Quixotic is the debut album by English singer-songwriter Martina Topley-Bird. The album spans several musical styles including trip-hop, electronic and rock. It was co-written and produced by Topley-Bird and received positive reviews from music critics upon its release and was shortlisted for the 2003 Mercury Music Prize. Quixotic also includes a collaboration with musician Tricky, with whom Topley-Bird collaborated prior to her solo work. Quixotic was released in the United States one year later, in 2004. Licensed to the Palm Pictures label, the album was retitled Anything and the track list was altered — including the omission of three tracks originally found on Quixotic. Additionally, the "Intro" track was moved to the end of the album and retitled "Outro".

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

kwiks-ot′ik, adj. like Don Quixote , the knight-errant in the great romance of Cervantes (1547-1616), extravagantly romantic, aiming at an impossible ideal.— adv. Quixot′ically .— ns. Quix′otism , Quix′otry , absurdly romantic, impracticable, and magnanimous notions, schemes, or actions like those of Don Quixote.

How to pronounce quixotic?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say quixotic in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of quixotic in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of quixotic in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of quixotic in a Sentence

George Will :

Modern man's capacity for destruction is quixotic evidence of humanity's capacity for reconstruction. The powerful technological agents we have unleashed against the environment include many of the agents we require for its reconstruction.

Sebastian Morris :

The real issue is Mr. Modi's quixotic approach to macro-economic management.

Peter Chen :

They don't just dislike him, they kind of actively hate him because he is so quixotic .

Popularity rank by frequency of use

• ^  Princeton's WordNet http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=quixotic
• ^  GCIDE https://gcide.gnu.org.ua/?q=quixotic
• ^  Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Quixotic
• ^  ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
• ^  Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quixotic
• ^  Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=quixotic
• ^  Chambers 20th Century Dictionary https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=quixotic

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"quixotic." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Jul 2024. < https://www.definitions.net/definition/quixotic >.

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Image credit, the web's largest resource for, definitions & translations, a member of the stands4 network, free, no signup required :, add to chrome, add to firefox, browse definitions.net, are you a words master, in or of the month preceding the present one, Nearby & related entries:.

• quixotic adj
• quixotically adverb
• quixotism noun
• quiz program noun

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