utopian 1 of 2

adjective

yu̇-ˈtō-pē-ən How to pronounce utopian (audio)
Definition of utopiannext
as in romantic
having or marked by a tendency to be guided more by ideals than by reality a plan to revitalize the city's decaying downtown that proved to be overly ambitious and utopian

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

utopian

2 of 2

noun

as in dreamer
one whose conduct is guided more by the image of perfection than by the real world in the 19th century utopians founded a number of short-lived socialist communities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of utopian
Adjective
The service industry reached a level of convenience that still seems almost utopian. — Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026 Experts don’t yet know whether the scenes represent a utopian port city or a real place in the ancient Roman world. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
But the American leaders who midwifed the UN as World War II was still raging were somber realists, not utopians. — Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025 If not, these elements of Musk’s project are likely to remain more theoretical, just as the dreams of last century’s techno-utopians did. — Sonja Fritzsche, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for utopian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for utopian
  1. romantic
  2. dreamer
  3. impractical
  4. idealistic
  5. ideological
  6. idealist
Adjective
  • Morgan developed the test with her longtime collaborator and romantic partner, Harvard psychology professor Henry Murray (Crowe).
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Pike committed the murder over an intense romantic jealousy of Slemmer, who allegedly attempted to steal her boyfriend’s attention.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of romantic
Noun
  • When veteran producers Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler offer him a check for $300,000, around $2 million today when adjusted for inflation, the young dreamer says no.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Among its most memorable attractions is a historic railroad that once carried artists and archaeologists, dreamers and scientists, some of whom traveled on the train incognito before participating in the top-secret Manhattan Project.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dreamer
Adjective
  • Nonlinear editing changed how films are cut; digital cinematography changed how they are shot and reviewed; visual effects and virtual production made once-impractical images possible.
    — Partner Content, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
  • That would be impractical in Soho and unthinkable in Times Square.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of impractical
Adjective
  • Pulled into the action is Liz Gold, an idealistic young woman whose courage and conviction force Leamas to navigate a world where loyalties fracture and betrayal is inevitable.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Pulled into the action is Liz Gold (O’Casey), an idealistic young woman whose courage and conviction force Leamas to navigate a world where loyalties fracture and betrayal is inevitable.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of idealistic
Adjective
  • Another ideological ally is Peter Thiel, a co-founder of software firm Palantir who temporarily moved his family to Buenos Aires in April.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The coalition of survivor parents seeking change at the federal level spans the ideological spectrum and has members with varying levels of advocacy experience in politics.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ideological
Adjective
  • Sagittarius is an idealist sign that can totally relate to this tale of enduring relationships.
    — Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
  • The contact with and dependence on such support arguably also bolstered art’s worldliness and acted as an antidote to the petit bourgeois affinity for idealist mystification.
    — Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of idealist

Browse Nearby Words

utopia
utopian
utopians
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Utopian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/utopian. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All