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Synonyms

dreamy

American  
[dree-mee] / ˈdri mi /

adjective

dreamier, dreamiest

  1. of the nature of or characteristic of dreams; visionary.

  2. vague; dim.

  3. soothing; restful; quieting.

    dreamy music.

  4. given to daydreaming or reverie.

  5. abounding in dreams; characterized by or causing dreams.

  6. Informal. wonderful; marvelous.

    He has a dreamy new convertible.
dreamy British  
/ ˈdriːmɪ /

adjective

  1. vague or impractical

  2. resembling a dream in quality

  3. relaxing; gentle

    dreamy music

  4. informal wonderful

  5. having dreams, esp daydreams

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of dreamy

First recorded in 1560–70; dream + -y 1

Explanation

Things that are dreamy seem slightly strange and unreal, but in a lovely way. A dreamy tune on the radio might make you close your eyes and smile. Your favorite tea shop might have a dreamy atmosphere, and your favorite movie might be slow and dreamy, with dreamlike images and meditative music. If a person is dreamy, she tends to live in her head, thinking or daydreaming. Informally, you can also describe something or someone that's wonderful or nice to look at as dreamy: "He's my favorite singer, and he's so dreamy." This casual meaning began as US teen slang in the 1940s.

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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.

Dreamy photographs of baskets and exposed-wood beams and straw hats hanging on peg hooks quiet thoughts such as “Will my job be replaced by AI?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Dreamy is the theme of Karol G’s 2024 hit “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” which is not a far stretch from the energy she delivers in her 2023 albums, “Mañana Será Bonito” and “Bichota Season.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2024

Dreamy and enthralling, director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli do it again.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2024

Dreamy, singalong hooks abound, as on this exuberant single.

From New York Times • Oct. 27, 2023

Dreamy visions of the existence men might carve out for themselves in such a scene formed the amusements of the long hours of my solitary sick bed.

From Sir Jasper Carew His Life and Experience by Lever, Charles James

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.