Word Of The Day 7-5-2017

quixotic

adjective  

quix·ot·ic \kwik-ˈsä-tik\

Popularity: Top 1% of lookups

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Definition

1. :  foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially:  marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action

   2:capricious, unpredictable

quixotical

adjective
hopeful or romantic in a way that is not practical

quixotically

adverb

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Examples

• What’s undeniable is that the President of the United States misled the American people and allowed them to go on a quixotic scavenger hunt from May 12 until June 22.
  —Z. Byron Wolf, CNN, “Donald Trump just led everyone on a 40-day wild goose chase”, 22 June 2017
• Cepeda is acting alone – without the affiliation of any group – and is aware that his quest can be viewed as either quixotic or inspired.
  —Raul A. Reyes, NBC News, “Meet the Man Who Wants NYC Catholic Churches to Offer Sanctuary to Immigrants”, 19 June 2017
• The production was directed and choreographed by Robert Dekkers, with co-creative director and Quixotic founder Anthony Magliano.
  —kansascity, “Quixotic premieres ambitious ‘Firebird’ to the tunes of Radiohead”, 10 June 2017

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Did You Know?

If you guessed quixotic has something to do with Don Quixote, you’re absolutely right. The hero of the 17th-century Spanish novel El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha (by Miguel de Cervantes) 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, broken-down horse, comes from the name of the hero’s less-than-gallant steed.

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Origin

Don Quixote

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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quixotic