1
as in model
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
she is the beau ideal of the dedicated medical professional
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ideal
the most perfect type or example
Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous architectural creation, Falling Water, is widely regarded as the beau ideal of a building in harmony with its setting
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 beau ideal
The beau ideal of local graft was Hall’s boss, Fate Thomas, the Davidson County sheriff.
—
James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For those who’ve forgotten, celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti was seen for a time as the Democratic beau ideal, a brawler who could get under Trump’s skin and take the fight to the president like few others could or would.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
For those who’ve forgotten, celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti was seen for a time as the Democratic beau ideal, a brawler who could get under Trump’s skin and take the fight to the president like few others could or would.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2025
The beau ideal of illiberal democracy is, of course, Viktor Orbán of Hungary, who outlined the term in a 2014 speech.
—Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024
Fieg is its beau ideal.
—Kareem Rashed, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2022
At Délice & Sarrasin, a charming French bistro in the West Village, vegans can bide their time in style, enticing new recruits with the beau ideal of meatless haute cuisine.
—David Kortava, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2021
If Hicks is the beau ideal in today’s MLB, then Miles Mikolas is a throwback to the Roosevelt administration.
—Michael Beller, SI.com, 23 May 2018
Conservatives like to imagine Reagan as the beau ideal of a president who faithfully adhered to their principles, but Trump is the president who has actually done it.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 23 Feb. 2018
If Teddy Roosevelt was the Harvard beau ideal at the turn of the last century, Mark Zuckerberg is the Harvard man to be in the new millennium.
—William Stadiem, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beau ideal
Noun
-
Anthropic was granted a preliminary injunction in its San Francisco case, allowing government agencies other than the DOD to use Anthropic’s models while the litigation unfolds.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
Climate change is producing weather no model has trained on (including changing the behavior of hurricanes).—
Gautam Mukunda,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Ferrell was an ideal closer for Season 51, which has largely been about developing relatively new talent in the cast, including rising stars Ashley Padilla, Jeremy Culhane and Marcello Hernández.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
-
The towels activate instantly with water -- just wet, wring, and shake for a refreshing cool, ideal for workouts, commutes, sports, dog walks or hot flashes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
The solar system is estimated to be around 2 light-years wide, giving you an idea of just how far astronomers consider our cosmic backyard to extend.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
15 May 2026
-
Not having to consider finances or James’ specific (and largely unknown) priorities, members of The Athletic’s NBA staff have some ideas.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
Renaissance humanists certainly emphasized a corpus of Greek and Roman classics for the self-fashioned man, the predictable coterie that includes Plato and Aristotle, Cicero and Virgil.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
Game 7 went down as an NHL classic, with Matteau scoring his famous double-overtime winner to send New York to its first Cup Final since 1979.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
Tucci, who thankfully gets a lot more screen time here, understands the assignment and plays the patron saint in a waistcoat with aplomb.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Anchoring it is the Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore, an excellent example of Romanesque architecture named for the city’s patron saint.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The easiest way to maintain a gut health diet is to focus on balance rather than perfection.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
18 May 2026
-
Their objective is not perfection.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Take for example, Arnel Pante, a Lana'i native and longtime server at One Forty, who without batting an eye honored my off-the-menu breakfast request for a small, side order of oatmeal with blueberries, kiwi, and almonds, to accompany an egg white frittata.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
-
Norman Corwin’s On a Note of Triumph is one example of a work that rewards closer critical scrutiny.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Trusty is a master of manifestation, and he is not done dreaming.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
-
Murphy won't say, for fear of sharing her manifestations.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
