as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality
the starry-eyed notion that international sports competitions actually help foster global harmony
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Recent Examples of starry-eyed
Many excellent books are originally written in English, and yet every day starry-eyed translators add a handful more to the shelves.
—
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
There is a starry-eyed optimism in the gesture that emphasizes the darker manipulations of their relationship.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Even amid dismal ratings for the US government overall, views of NASA remain relatively starry-eyed.
—Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
It had supposedly been made in the nineteen-forties, for an Italian countess or an English lady, then scrapped, and afterward either smuggled out of the workroom by a starry-eyed seamstress or, with the atelier head’s approval, given to one of the in-house models.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday night, as the NFL world reeled with the Maxx Crosby news and the NBA was starry-eyed at Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, the rest of us were watching Team Italy embarrass the good ol’ US of A with an 8-6 win in the World Baseball Classic.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
But Sexistential, released in March, pushes in the opposite direction, toward starry-eyed excess and abandon.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
Jasmine January gives a sweet, starry-eyed performance as Rosemary, the ever-patient secretary who loves Finch despite his indifference to her feelings.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 2026
There is a starry-eyed optimism in the gesture that emphasizes the darker manipulations of their relationship.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Even amid dismal ratings for the US government overall, views of NASA remain relatively starry-eyed.
—Ariel Edwards-Levy, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
It had supposedly been made in the nineteen-forties, for an Italian countess or an English lady, then scrapped, and afterward either smuggled out of the workroom by a starry-eyed seamstress or, with the atelier head’s approval, given to one of the in-house models.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
On Tuesday night, as the NFL world reeled with the Maxx Crosby news and the NBA was starry-eyed at Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, the rest of us were watching Team Italy embarrass the good ol’ US of A with an 8-6 win in the World Baseball Classic.
—Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
But Sexistential, released in March, pushes in the opposite direction, toward starry-eyed excess and abandon.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
The film’s plot is thrust in motion when a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, watching as a starry-eyed nurse (Cemre Paksoy) becomes entangled with her mysterious patient (Bruce McKenzie).
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
Jasmine January gives a sweet, starry-eyed performance as Rosemary, the ever-patient secretary who loves Finch despite his indifference to her feelings.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starry-eyed
Adjective
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Mercury aggravates Jupiter, intensifying your vulnerability in creative or romantic situations.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile this is an excellent day to enjoy the company of partners, spouses and close friends, because romantic vibes are sweet and special.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Scientists typically test candidates one by one, making large-scale discovery impractical.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Apr. 2026
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And it’s set in a snowy wintertime, which would have been impractical and expensive in live action, but pays all kinds of benefits in terms of staging and mood.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This anger crackles around him like a smoldering fire, igniting and engulfing everyone from the workers on his farm, his meek sister Férula (Fernanda Castillo), to Clara and, eventually, to their daughter, Blanca (Sara Becker and later Fernanda Urrejola), Alba’s idealistic mother.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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Edward Montoya plays Fingal as an idealistic young writer, fresh out of Harvard, with little practical experience but a lot of ability and gumption.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The red planet is the apple of Elon Musk’s eye, with utopian concepts for a Mars settlement to go along with SpaceX’s more tangible work on a massive rocket to actually fly there.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
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The public discussion still swings between utopian promise and apocalyptic dread.—
Barry R. Davis,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Starry-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starry-eyed. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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