Quixotic

adjective

/kwɪkˈsɒtɪk/

Exceedingly idealistic; pursuing lofty but impractical or unattainable goals with a romantic disregard for ordinary prudence and reality. It implies noble intent undermined by a lack of practical feasibility.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

However noble in spirit, a welfare scheme that promises universal prosperity without a credible fiscal roadmap risks remaining quixotic, inspiring rhetoric that founders on the hard realities of implementation.

Synonyms

idealisticimpracticalvisionaryromanticutopianstarry-eyed

Antonyms

pragmaticrealisticpracticalhard-headed

🌱 Word Family

quixotically (adv), quixotism (n), quixotry (n), quixote (n, archaic)

🔡 Root

Coined from Don Quixote (Cervantes, 1605) + Latin -ic; name from Spanish quijote = thigh-armour, from Latin coxa = hip

📜 Etymology

Coined in 1791 from Don Quixote, the romantic, impractical hero of Cervantes' satirical novel Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605), plus the suffix -ic; the name Quixote derives from Spanish quijote 'thigh-armour, cuisse', ultimately from Latin coxa 'hip'.

🧠 Memory Hook

Think of Don QUIXOTE charging at windmills he mistook for giants: a quixotic person nobly chases impossible, romantic dreams divorced from reality.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Rise of Indian Nationalism & the INC (...

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