daydream

American  

[dey-dreem] / ˈdeɪˌdrim /

noun

1. a reverie indulged in while awake.

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verb (used without object)

1. to indulge in such a reverie.

   Synonyms:

   woolgather, muse, dream, fantasize

daydream British  

/ ˈdeɪˌdriːm /

noun

1. a pleasant dreamlike fantasy indulged in while awake; idle reverie

2. a pleasant scheme or wish that is unlikely to be fulfilled; pipe dream

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verb

1. (intr) to have daydreams; indulge in idle fantasy

Other Word Forms

• daydreamer noun
• daydreamy adjective

Etymology

Origin of daydream

First recorded in 1675–85; day + dream

Example Sentences

Jolted out of his daydream, Major Puff leaned his head to the right in order to peer around the thick legs of the musk ox.

From Literature

When a promotion affords her a workspace, she cultivates a fixation with paperweights, which help keep her daydreaming grounded.

From The Wall Street Journal

You could float on your back because if you started to daydream you’d bump your head on the reef before you floated out to sea.

From Literature

Harold’s people, like me, well they could be found daydreaming in cemeteries or sipping coffee on the stoops of abandoned houses.

From Salon

On Monday, that daydreaming lad from Lancashire raced at his fifth and final Olympics, his retirement imminent at the age of 39 after a career that has cemented his place as Britain's greatest Alpine skier.

From BBC

Related Words

• pipe dream
• reverie