Don Quixote

noun

Don Qui·​xote ˌdän-kē-ˈ(h)ō-tē How to pronounce Don Quixote (audio)
ˌdäŋ-;
chiefly British dän-ˈkwik-sət
Synonyms of Don Quixotenext
: an impractical idealist

Synonyms of Don Quixote

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Examples of Don Quixote in a Sentence

a latter-day Don Quixote, she's spent her life fighting the state's big logging companies
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In addition to his screen roles, Cypher, according to his obituary, appeared in 12 Broadway productions, playing such characters as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and Juan Perón in Evita. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes’s 17th-century epic about a deluded knight, is frequently called the first modern novel. — Boris Kachka, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 Smale joined Tring Park Performing Arts Classical Ballet Academy in 2021 and became a Royal Ballet Junior Associate in 2022, performing in productions of Cinderella, Don Quixote and The Winter’s Tale. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 June 2026 Success finally came with Don Quixote, a novel about a knight-errant whose adventures are inspired by the author’s earlier days. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for Don Quixote

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, hero of Cervantes' Don Quixote

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Don Quixote was in 1630

Rhymes for Don Quixote

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Browse Nearby Words

do no wrong
Don Quixote
donship
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Cite this Entry

“Don Quixote.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Don%20Quixote. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Don Quixote

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Don Quixote

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