dream
Americannoun
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dreams
plural
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a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.
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the sleeping state in which this occurs.
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an object seen in a dream.
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an involuntary vision occurring to a person when awake.
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a vision voluntarily indulged in while awake; daydream; reverie.
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an aspiration; goal; aim.
A trip to Europe is his dream.
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a wild or vain fancy.
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something of an unreal beauty, charm, or excellence.
verb (used without object)
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dreams,
present (3rd person singular)
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dreamed,
past participle, past
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dreamt,
past participle, past
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dreaming
present participle
-
to have a dream.
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to indulge in daydreams or reveries.
He dreamed about vacation plans when he should have been working.
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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)
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dreams,
present (3rd person singular)
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dreamed,
past participle, past
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dreamt,
past participle, past
-
dreaming
present participle
-
to see or imagine in sleep or in a vision.
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to imagine as if in a dream; fancy; suppose.
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to pass or spend (time) in dreaming (often followed byaway ).
to dream away the afternoon.
adjective
verb phrase
noun
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mental activity, usually in the form of an imagined series of events, occurring during certain phases of sleep
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( as modifier )
a dream sequence
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( in combination )
dreamland
-
-
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a sequence of imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake; daydream; fantasy
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( as modifier )
a dream world
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a person or thing seen or occurring in a dream
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a cherished hope; ambition; aspiration
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a vain hope
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a person or thing that is as pleasant, or seemingly unreal, as a dream
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to move, develop, or work very well
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to undergo or experience (a dream or dreams)
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(intr) to indulge in daydreams
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(intr) to suffer delusions; be unrealistic
you're dreaming if you think you can win
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to have an image (of) or fantasy (about) in or as if in a dream
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to consider the possibility (of)
I wouldn't dream of troubling you
adjective
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
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dreamfulnessnoun
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dreamingnoun
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dreamlessnessnoun
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redreamverb
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dreamfuladjective
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dreamlessadjective
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dreamlikeadjective
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undreamedadjective
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undreamingadjective
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undreamlikeadjective
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dreamfullyadverb
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dreaminglyadverb
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dreamlesslyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dreamsimple
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dreamssimple
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have dreamedperfect
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have dreamtperfect
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has dreamedperfect
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has dreamtperfect
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am dreamingprogressive
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are dreamingprogressive
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is dreamingprogressive
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have been dreamingperfect progressive
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has been dreamingperfect progressive
Past
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dreamedsimple
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dreamtsimple
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had dreamedperfect
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had dreamtperfect
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was dreamingprogressive
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were dreamingprogressive
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had been dreamingperfect progressive
Future
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!"
Vocabulary lists containing dream
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But there are real lessons in that story about entrepreneurship and the American dream.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
“To see Dosis and ‘No Capea’ celebrated alongside artists I admire is a dream come true,” said Xavi.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
So the clock was ticking for the Ohio family to go on their dream vacation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Stretch, Strategy’s main security—80 percent of which is held by ordinary retail investors—sounds like a dream investment vehicle for someone looking for financial stability.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
Can I live with going to bed and wondering what I’ll dream, what I’ll call out, what I’ll scream?
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
For the Chargers, that singsong, taunting “Raiii-derrrs” chant will surely haunt their dreams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
Bad management played a part in not fulfilling his potential, but he admits "living for other people's dreams and ambitions."
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Afterward, Lindsay offered a lesson to high school football players about finding a way to stay the course to fulfill your dreams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
In his new book, ‘Inside the Owner’s Box,’ Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein shares the childhood dreams that informed his biggest personal investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
He screwed them shut, and slid down into evil dreams.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
“We never dreamed anything like this would ever happen to us, turning people from trusting to everybody wanting to get alarm systems and security lights.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Surely it isn’t the kind of re-entry Williams dreamed up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Henry Ford dreamed of erasing the boundary between farm and factory.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Rosales long dreamed of being invited to the Biennale, and the full circle nature of it, the Venice, California, to Venice, Italy, of it all, is dizzying.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Growing up, I dreamed of being a musician,” he said, thumping back into his chair.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
"We went to the pub as normal that night and never dreamt that we would come back without Tony," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Money itself is just a construct, one with rules dreamt up by humans.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
"That was the moment I realised somebody had to do something," said the wildlife biologist, who never dreamt of a career revolving around the sea.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
For Sonnenshine, who was in the middle of working on Season 2, the reality of making the series has been even more rewarding than what she dreamt of as a child.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Readers found William so delightful—so infuriating, so crafty, so entertaining—that Crompton kept dreaming up escapades for him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Now, like many Iranian students dreaming of a future elsewhere, she is scrambling to find another way to take it, while absorbing the new exam fee and hefty travel costs.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
But with seven points from a possible nine, three clean sheets and only two points behind early pacesetters Manchester City, the Hull supporters can be forgiven for dreaming a little.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
But Bendrau is constantly dreaming up new Aussie-inspired menu items for Journey Beyond’s various multi-day train trips across the country.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
It was true what she told Boaz: movies were like dreaming.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
