dream

American  

[dreem] / drim /

noun

dreams plural

1. a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.

2. the sleeping state in which this occurs.

3. an object seen in a dream.

4. an involuntary vision occurring to a person when awake.

5. a vision voluntarily indulged in while awake; daydream; reverie.

6. an aspiration; goal; aim.

   A trip to Europe is his dream.

7. a wild or vain fancy.

8. something of an unreal beauty, charm, or excellence.

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verb (used without object)

dreams, present (3rd person singular) dreamed, past participle, past dreamt, past participle, past dreaming present participle

1. to have a dream.

2. to indulge in daydreams or reveries.

   He dreamed about vacation plans when he should have been working.

3. to think or conceive of something in a very remote way (usually followed byof ).

   I wouldn't dream of asking them.

verb (used with object)

dreams, present (3rd person singular) dreamed, past participle, past dreamt, past participle, past dreaming present participle

1. to see or imagine in sleep or in a vision.

2. to imagine as if in a dream; fancy; suppose.

3. to pass or spend (time) in dreaming (often followed byaway ).

   to dream away the afternoon.

adjective

1. most desirable; ideal.

   a dream vacation.

verb phrase

1. dream up to form in the imagination; devise.

   They dreamed up the most impossible plan.

dream British  

/ driːm /

noun

1. 1. mental activity, usually in the form of an imagined series of events, occurring during certain phases of sleep

   2. ( as modifier )

      a dream sequence

   3. ( in combination )

      dreamland

2. 1. a sequence of imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake; daydream; fantasy

   2. ( as modifier )

      a dream world

3. a person or thing seen or occurring in a dream

4. a cherished hope; ambition; aspiration

5. a vain hope

6. a person or thing that is as pleasant, or seemingly unreal, as a dream

7. to move, develop, or work very well

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verb

1. (may take a clause as object) to undergo or experience (a dream or dreams)

2. (intr) to indulge in daydreams

3. (intr) to suffer delusions; be unrealistic

   you're dreaming if you think you can win

4. to have an image (of) or fantasy (about) in or as if in a dream

5. to consider the possibility (of)

   I wouldn't dream of troubling you

adjective

1. too good to be true; ideal

   dream kitchen

dream Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dream

• pipe dream
• sweet dreams
• wouldn't dream of

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Synonym Usage

Dream, nightmare, and vision refer to the kinds of mental images that form during sleep. Dream is the general term for any such succession of images. A nightmare is a dream that brings fear or anxiety: frightened by a nightmare. Vision refers to a series of images of unusual vividness, clarity, order, and significance, sometimes seen in a dream.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dreamfulness
  noun
• dreaming
  noun
• dreamlessness
  noun
• redream
  verb
• dreamful
  adjective
• dreamless
  adjective
• dreamlike
  adjective
• undreamed
  adjective
• undreaming
  adjective
• undreamlike
  adjective
• dreamfully
  adverb
• dreamingly
  adverb
• dreamlessly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dreams
  plural

Participles

• dreaming
  present
• dreamed
  past
• dreamt
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dream
  simple
• dreams
  simple
• have dreamed
  perfect
• have dreamt
  perfect
• has dreamed
  perfect
• has dreamt
  perfect
• am dreaming
  progressive
• are dreaming
  progressive
• is dreaming
  progressive
• have been dreaming
  perfect progressive
• has been dreaming
  perfect progressive

Past

• dreamed
  simple
• dreamt
  simple
• had dreamed
  perfect
• had dreamt
  perfect
• was dreaming
  progressive
• were dreaming
  progressive
• had been dreaming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dream
  simple
• will have dreamed
  perfect
• will have dreamt
  perfect
• will be dreaming
  progressive
• will have been dreaming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dream

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English dreem, Old English drēam “joy, mirth, gladness,” cognate with Old Saxon drōm “mirth, dream,” Old Norse draumr, Old High German troum “dream”

Explanation

A dream is one of the little movies in your mind that play at night, or a type of hope: you might dream of being a doctor. Everyone dreams, and dreams tend to be weird, but the images and sounds that fill your head as you sleep are just part of the meaning of this word. People also have dreams that are kind of like plans and goals: many people dream of being movie stars. A good car runs like a dream. Something too good to be true feels like a dream. If you're acting confused, someone might say, "Stop dreaming!"

Example Sentences

After abandoning plans to go to law school, she spotted an admissions-supervisor opening at the new American Dream mall, and a former Sesame Place colleague working there helped her get her foot in the door.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

The takedown occurred with around 6:05 left in the third quarter, while the Dream were leading 52-42.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026

Amber Anning was fourth in the women's 400m as Norway's Henriette Jaeger enjoyed success, while her fellow Briton, Jake Wightman, finished fifth in the Dream Mile behind Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Trump also mentioned the famous 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech by civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., spoken to an audience at the National Mall, where the reflecting pool is located.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

Shakespeare called the full stop a period in A Midsummer Night’s Dream when he described nervous players “making periods in the midst of sentences”.

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author

Related Words

• delusion
• fantasy
• idea
• image
• imagination
• nightmare
• thought