daydream
Americannoun
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daydreams
plural
verb (used without object)
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daydreams,
present (3rd person singular)
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daydreamed,
past participle, past
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daydreaming
present participle
noun
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a pleasant dreamlike fantasy indulged in while awake; idle reverie
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a pleasant scheme or wish that is unlikely to be fulfilled; pipe dream
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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daydreamsimple
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daydreamssimple
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have daydreamedperfect
-
has daydreamedperfect
-
am daydreamingprogressive
-
are daydreamingprogressive
-
is daydreamingprogressive
-
have been daydreamingperfect progressive
-
has been daydreamingperfect progressive
Past
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daydreamedsimple
-
had daydreamedperfect
-
was daydreamingprogressive
-
were daydreamingprogressive
-
had been daydreamingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of daydream
Explanation
A daydream is a fantasy you have while you're awake. Daydreams are pleasant, and they can be so absorbing that they distract you from what's going on around you. You might have a daydream about moving to a big city, or about how you'd spend your millions if you won the lottery. To do this — dream, muse, or fantasize — is also to daydream. Your math teacher might scold you, saying, "You can't daydream in the middle of the calculus final!" The word dates from the 17th century.
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:
We’re presumed to be coldhearted tyrants who spend too much money on gear and private coaches and daydream about DI scholarships that will never come.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
My Venus is in Pisces, and I feel like all I can do is daydream about the unrequited love I have and the objects of my desire who will never know I even exist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
"That's what life's about, right? You daydream and you dream about the biggest things possible. Then you try and make it a reality."
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The success of the bearded, ass-kicking Ranger marked a stunning reversal of fortune for Norris, who grew up a shy, unathletic child, who "used to daydream about being strong...to beat up the bullies".
From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026
As you wordlessly daydream, your thoughts drift from idea to idea: visual images, odd observations, snatches of melody, fun facts, old grudges, pleasant fantasies, memorable moments.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
And, occasionally, she wanders into daydreams that Hayakawa presents so matter-of-factly that viewers may sometimes be unsure if what they’re seeing is actually happening.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
Ms. Margulis sees practical uses for musical daydreams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
"The office cubicle has trapped me again," he says as he daydreams of a holiday on the continent.
From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026
Fuel those escapist daydreams with travel inspiration ideal for decorating dreary cubicles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
A thing like that is enough to knock the daydreams from anyone’s head.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
And while the women of Chinatown’s faraway past may have daydreamed and even plotted their escapes, See keeps going back.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
Commander Murphy likened Khalife to the self-aggrandising fictional character Walter Mitty, who daydreamed about extraordinary personal triumphs.
From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2024
For years, April had daydreamed about seeing Hunter again, imagining that he would still be the little boy she remembered.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2024
But since his death on Apr. 1, their mother, Inshirah — who once daydreamed of seeing Saifeddin get married — has been unable to accept that he is gone.
From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2024
He wanted to be a dad, he really did—I’m sure he daydreamed about kicking a football around in the garden with his son, or carrying his daughter on his shoulders in the park.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Wakeful rest can include activities such as daydreaming, drawing, listening to music, or chatting with friends, which can promote learning.
From Slate ● Sep. 5, 2026
Dr Meneka Sidhu, a consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, said typical absence seizures usually last seconds and the person affected may appear to be daydreaming or looking blank.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The idea that anyone can suddenly be endowed with superhuman specialness simply by being in the right place at the right time is a little like daydreaming about winning the lottery.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
“I’ve asked my friends, and apparently my daydreaming or thinking face looks focused,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
I continued working and, to keep my mind occupied, began whistling rock ’n’ roll tunes and daydreaming about Peggy and the Vets.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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.
