dream
Americannoun
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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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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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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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undreamingadjective
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redreamverb
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dreamfuladjective
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dreaminglyadverb
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dreamingnoun
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dreamlessadjective
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dreamlesslyadverb
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dreamlikeadjective
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dreamfullyadverb
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dreamfulnessnoun
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dreamlessnessnoun
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undreamlikeadjective
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undreamedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has dreamtperfect 3rd person singular
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have dreamedperfect
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has dreamedperfect 3rd person singular
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have dreamtperfect
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am dreamingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been dreamingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is dreamingprogressive 3rd person singular
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dreamingparticiple
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are dreamingprogressive
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have been dreamingperfect progressive
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dreamssingular 3rd person
Past
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had dreamedperfect
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had dreamtperfect
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had been dreamingperfect progressive
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were dreamingprogressive plural
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was dreamingprogressive singular
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dreamedparticiple
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dreamedsimple
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dreamtsimple
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dreamtparticiple
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
Name On: Pro Sports Team Names, Part 2
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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"Encounter"
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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.
Which is why, for players such as Julian Ryerson, it’s a dream come true just to make it on the field.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
"I'm just simply a referee who's trying to live his dream - the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
"As an American, we support the US team...especially as my son's dream is to be a future soccer player of this country."
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
“The paintings are about the smoldering tensions that underlie the American dream, so I think it’s a particularly apt moment to bring them back into the public eye.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The cortex is where you think, remember, learn, imagine, read, speak, listen, and dream.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
