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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 starry-eyed
The entire action takes places on a Broadway stage where 17 actors, both starry-eyed newcomers and grizzled stage veterans, are auditioning for one of eight spots on a chorus line of an upcoming musical.
—
Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 18 May 2026
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
Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 18 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for starry-eyed
Adjective
-
While walking the carpet, which marked a fun outing for the longtime married couple and music collaborators, Chris showed his romantic affection towards his wife of nearly 20 years.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
-
This is complicity spurred on by a certain kind of Western readers desire to maintain their romantic image of Russia’s past without having to engage critical with Russia’s present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
While Motorola has made progress overcoming some traditional shortcomings of foldables, the phone still feels rather impractical, while still being very cool.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 May 2026
-
However, Burry warned that directly betting against the rally through short selling is risky and impractical for most investors, particularly as bearish trades have become increasingly expensive.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
That 2% isn't just an idealistic goal, however.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Stark, having been elected governor and already well along in his fateful descent from an idealistic man of the people to an entirely corrupt megalomaniac, is on the way to visit his childhood home.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rescuing utopian idyll from dystopian reality, Koreeda determines that humanity is too fragile to forfeit its defining qualities to a mechanical species; that our only viable function in an artificial tomorrow is as the eternal caretakers of memory and imagination.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
-
But the weight of their grief is just as palpable as the utopian patina of their surroundings.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Starry-eyed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/starry-eyed. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
