daydream
Americannoun
-
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
-
a pleasant dreamlike fantasy indulged in while awake; idle reverie
-
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
-
daydreamssimple
-
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
"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
I went off into an involuntary daydream about living there with Ma, Klenam, Mawuli, and Togbe.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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
Researchers have begun poking around in our musical daydreams.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 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
Sometimes I was the commander in chief in my daydreams, and sometimes I was just imagining what it would be like to live in a place like this.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
I daydreamed completely made-up scenes in my head, like the day when Luthen made Kleya laugh for the very first time, or happy memories between them.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2025
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
Vincent‘s purchase came after years of perusing yard sales and thrift stores with her mother. She loves PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow” and has daydreamed many times of this kind of lottery ticket-level transaction.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 21, 2023
While I worked, I daydreamed about going to the Vets dances and played rock ’n’ roll tunes in my head.
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
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
When we’re daydreaming and ruminating and self-reflecting and mentally time-traveling or imagining other people’s thoughts, we’re not present.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026
Harold’s people, like me, well they could be found daydreaming in cemeteries or sipping coffee on the stoops of abandoned houses.
From Salon ● Feb. 17, 2026
She has no idea that he’s daydreaming about her, or even that he’s mad for her.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
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.
