1
as in model
someone of such unequaled perfection as to deserve imitation
she is the beau ideal of the dedicated medical professional
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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
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Recent Examples of beau ideal
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 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
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
Male dictators are Trump’s beau ideal of an admirable world leader.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 24 Jan. 2018
There was a time when the beau ideal was to drive your sports car to the track, paint numbers on it, go racing and then drive home.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 July 2017
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 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
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
Male dictators are Trump’s beau ideal of an admirable world leader.
—Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 24 Jan. 2018
There was a time when the beau ideal was to drive your sports car to the track, paint numbers on it, go racing and then drive home.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beau ideal
Noun
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Our leaders intervened to retrain the model, preserving our commitment to personalized service.—
Braden Yuill,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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Both the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxies (M31) are part of what's known as the Local Group (LG), which also hosts other smaller galaxies (some not yet discovered) as well as dark matter (per the prevailing standard cosmological model).—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
Noun
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For those seeking extra space and seclusion, the Adobe House, just steps away from the main hotel, offers a quiet sanctuary ideal for families or groups.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
5 June 2025
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Even Johnson’s supporters may struggle to square this proposal with his progressive ideals.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2025
Noun
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Per usual, the old and new world methods clash over topics like whether to physically restrain Emma to a bed, and Theophilus is convinced that anything that looks like rational evidence against his ideas is just Satan manipulating everyone’s brain.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
4 June 2025
-
Sarah, 28, started searching online for low-key reveal ideas.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Guests can float between two outdoor pools—one a heated classic, the other a saltwater pool carved right into the rocks—or enjoy Mediterranean dishes at the hotel’s two restaurants, Récif and the new Estelo (formerly known as La Plage) and new bar, La Chicoula (formerly known as La Cabane).—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
8 June 2025
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Sculptural and high-shine, the boots anchored Hilton’s set in her classic, footwear-forward approach to stagewear — a consistent theme across her Pride Month.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
7 June 2025
Noun
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Lively became mostly famous for, well, being Blake Lively: tall, slender, beautiful, and suspiciously perfect — a patron saint for the Instagram age.—
David Mack,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2025
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The patron saint of the internet never so much as held an iPhone.—
Emily Harnett,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Instead of pursuing impossible perfection, organizations should design for resilience — systems that degrade gracefully under stress and recover quickly from failures.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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Craft beer has achieved a state of perfection, with all sub-standard brews banished.—
Peter Rowe,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 June 2025
Noun
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For example, the family of Martin Gutierrez, whose body was found in the lake in 2018, before the media frenzy around Lady Bird Lake, believe he was drugged while on a night out.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 June 2025
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Mubi is, for example, a co-producer on the new Jim Jarmusch movie, Father Mother Sister Brother, which stars Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Tom Waits, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
6 June 2025
Noun
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In many ways, American Science & Surplus is a physical manifestation of the maker ethos.—
Eric Bangeman – Jun 4,
ArsTechnica,
4 June 2025
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All around these memories there were beautiful pieces by Grace Wales Bonner and Willy Chavarria, living manifestations of how much André did to help promote talented people of color.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beau ideal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beau%20ideal. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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