quixotic adj : not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic; "as quixotic as a restoration of medieval knighthood"; "a romantic disregard for money"; "a wild-eyed dream of a world state" [syn: romantic, wild-eyed]

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• a RP /kwɪkˈsɒtɪk/, /kwIk"sQtIk/
• a US , /kwɪkˈsɑtɪk/, /kwIk"sAtIk/

• Rhymes: -ɒtɪk

Adjective

1. Possessing or acting with the desire to do noble and romantic deeds, without thought of realism and practicality.
2. Impulsive.
3. Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded.

Usage notes

Although the term is derived from the name of the character, Don Quixote, the x is fully pronounced; the x in |Don Quixote, by contrast, is pronounced more as an h.

Derived terms

• quixotically

Translations

• French: quichottesque
• German: quichottisch
• Hebrew: כדון קישוט
• Italian: donchisciottesco
• Spanish: quijotesco
• Vietnamese: hào hiệp viển vông

Quixotic can refer to:

• Quixotic, an adjective deriving from the novel Don Quixote
• Quixotic, an album by Martina Topley-Bird
• DJ Quixotic, a Los Angeles-based record producer

absurd, airy, autistic, chimerical, dereistic, dreamlike, dreamy, fanciful, fantastic, foolhardy, idealistic, impracticable, impractical, in the clouds, mad, optimistic, otherworldly, poetic, preposterous, rash, reckless, ridiculous, romancing, romantic, romanticized, starry-eyed, storybook, transcendental, transmundane, unpractical, unrealistic, unrealizable, visionary, wild, wish-fulfilling