quixotic
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English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Derived from Spanish Quixote, the surname of Don Quixote, the title character in the novel by Miguel de Cervantes, + -ic.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /kwɪkˈsɒtɪk/
- (US) IPA(key): /kwɪkˈsɑtɪk/, /kwɪɡˈzɑtɪk/, /kiːˈzɑtɪk/
- (rare) IPA(key): /kiˈɑtɪk/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɒtɪk
Adjective[edit]
quixotic (comparative more quixotic, superlative most quixotic)
- Resembling or characteristic of the Spanish chivalric hero Don Quixote; possessed with or resulting from the desire to do noble and romantic deeds, without thought of realism and practicality; exceedingly idealistic.
- 1911 January 7, G[ilbert] K[eith] Chesterton, “The Sign of the Broken Sword”, in The Innocence of Father Brown, London, New York, N.Y.: Cassell and Company, published 1911, →OCLC:
- Olivier, as you know, was quixotic, and would not permit a secret service and spies.
Usage notes[edit]
- Although the term is derived from the name of the character Don Quixote, the letters ⟨qu⟩ and ⟨x⟩ are both read as is usual for English spelling (/kw/ and /ks/), possibly due to analogy with exotic. In Don Quixote, by contrast, the pronunciation more closely resembles the modern Spanish (/k/ and /h~x/).
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Resembling or characteristic of Don Quixote
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun[edit]
quixotic (plural quixotics)
Categories:
- English terms derived from Spanish
- English terms suffixed with -ic
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɒtɪk
- Rhymes:English/ɒtɪk/3 syllables
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with rare senses
- English eponyms
- en:Personality