KWIK-suh-tree
QUIXOTRY is the pursuit of impractical, idealistic goals with romantic and chivalrous intent, often disregarding reality. Named after Don Quixote, it describes behavior that is nobly intentioned but foolishly impractical.
Yes. QUIXOTRY is in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools and scores 27 points in Scrabble, 27 in Words With Friends and 28 in Wordfeud (base tile values, no board multipliers). Always check the dictionary your game uses (NWL, Collins or the WWF list) before playing.
| Letter | Q | U | I | X | O | T | R | Y | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 27 |
| Words With Friends | 10 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27 |
| Wordfeud | 10 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 28 |
Quixotry embodies the eternal human tension between idealism and pragmatism, between noble dreams and harsh realities. This evocative term captures the essence of pursuing impossibly romantic or chivalrous goals with an earnestness that borders on the absurd. Like its literary namesake Don Quixote, who famously tilted at windmills believing them to be giants, quixotry represents both the admirable courage to dream big and the potential folly of ignoring practical limitations.
The concept extends far beyond mere impracticality. Quixotry implies a specific type of idealism—one rooted in romance, chivalry, and noble intentions. A person exhibiting quixotry doesn't simply make poor decisions; they pursue grand, often anachronistic ideals with genuine belief in their righteousness. This might manifest as fighting for lost causes, maintaining outdated codes of honor in modern contexts, or pursuing love with gestures more suited to medieval courtship than contemporary relationships.
In literature and philosophy, quixotry serves as a lens through which we examine the value of idealism itself. Is it better to pursue impossible dreams with passion, even if failure is certain, or to limit oneself to achievable goals? Miguel de Cervantes posed this question through Don Quixote, and the term quixotry continues to evoke this fundamental human dilemma. The quixotic hero—delusional yet noble, foolish yet admirable—has become an archetype representing the best and worst of human aspiration.
"Quixotry" derives from the character Don Quixote de La Mancha, created by Miguel de Cervantes in his 1605 novel "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha." The character's name itself comes from "quijote" (thigh armor), symbolizing his obsession with knightly equipment. English quickly adopted "quixotic" (1718) and "quixotry" (1680s) to describe behavior resembling Don Quixote's idealistic folly. The suffix "-ry" follows the pattern of "chivalry" and "rivalry," denoting a practice or condition. Interestingly, Cervantes invented a character name that became a common noun in dozens of languages—a rare linguistic achievement that testifies to the universal recognition of this particular form of idealistic behavior.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of QUIXOTRY.
Hooks: no front hooks; no back hooks.
Words inside QUIXOTRY: 42 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: ORYXQUIRTQUOITOXYQUITQIROUXTUXOXXIXURYOT. See all words from QUIXOTRY.