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
-
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:
"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
Eden convinced an initially reluctant Jordan it was time to make the daydream real, and “Ballet Reign” premiered on Dec. 21, 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 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
She knows that writers need nonwriting jobs and suggests ones with room to daydream.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
I broke off my daydream to take in our surroundings.
From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Researchers have begun poking around in our 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
As long as J.D.’s daydreams and goofy bromance with Turk remain, I’m all in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 2, 2026
Mendoza, a business grad student who daydreams about making commercial real estate deals, flew in from Cal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025
All Ruth had done was to take one of these harmless daydreams a step further; she hadn’t even mentioned Miss Geraldine by name.
From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro
If you’ve ever daydreamed about owning an item from Carrie Bradshaw’s closet or the writing desk where she penned her famous memoir, this L.A. event may be your golden ticket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 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
Sometimes I daydreamed about discovering the secret of the gene, but not once did I have the faintest trace of a respectable idea.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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
So you’ve become a pro at daydreaming while pretend-listening.
From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander
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.
