A person who suffers from bovarism; someone prone to romantic daydreaming and fantasizing about a more glamorous or exciting life than they actually have.
From bovarism + -ist (a person who practices or exemplifies something). Coined in literary criticism to describe individuals displaying the psychological pattern observed in Madame Bovary.
Every teenager with posters of far-off places on their bedroom wall is technically a bovarist—Flaubert identified the universal human tendency to imagine ourselves elsewhere, and gave it a permanent name.
Person exhibiting bovarism; term carries the same gendered baggage—assumes romantic idealism is feminine delusion requiring clinical naming.
Use 'idealist' or 'dreamer' when describing individuals; avoid the clinical pathologization implicit in 'bovarist'.
["idealist","dreamer","romantic visionary"]
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.