lucid dream

American  

[loo-sid dreem] / ˈlu sɪd ˈdrim /

noun

1. a dream in which a person is aware that they are dreaming and can often control action in the dream.

   I had a nightmare that I was lost at sea, but I was able to turn it into a lucid dream and I made myself find a radio to call for help.

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verb (used without object)

1. to have a dream in which the person is aware that they are dreaming and can often control action in the dream.

   She says she lucid dreams every few months and is training herself to do so more often.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lucid dreaming
  noun

Etymology

Origin of lucid dream

First recorded in 1913; coined by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden (1860–1932)

Example Sentences

According to Scott, what Crolla experienced therefore, was more a lucid dream, conjured after the event, than a real memory,

From BBC • May 8, 2024

Sense memories of childhood isolation take over like a lucid dream.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2024

Both spoke highly of Dresler and were pleased to hear that lucid dream research is advancing.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2023

Designlab Experience was hired in 2014 for a 3,500-person wedding in Dubai to create a lucid dream, where guests are aware that they’re dreaming.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2021

It wasn’t a matter of turning the wheel but of willing it, as in a lucid dream.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides