daydream
Americannoun
-
daydreams
plural
verb (used without object)
-
daydreams,
present (3rd person singular)
-
daydreamed,
past participle, past
-
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
-
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:
Opening your own book shop might be a lofty daydream for some bookworms looking to escape their 9-5, but more and more people are making it a reality.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
I daydream about the kishka dog in “Eat Jewish,” mourn Einstein Bros.’ discontinued bagel dog and would, without much arm-twisting, once again pay $28 for pigs in a blanket at the Ralph Lauren Club.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 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
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
What twelve-year-old girl doesn’t daydream about nurturing a puppy or a kitten?
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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
“I’ve had all sorts of daydreams about every pitching thing possible as a kid — relieving, closing out a game, starting in the World Series,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2025
On the itchy, impatient Can Time Move Faster, she daydreams about escaping its grasp.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2025
I was almost thirteen years old now, and it was hard to remember any other life—except for my daydreams of food.
From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz
If you’ve ever daydreamed about covering some part of the famous roadway, hop on in and let’s get our kicks, shall we?
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
"I daydreamed a story," Hailey remembered on Desert Island Discs in 1986.
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
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
For the past few months, Ivy had daydreamed once or twice—okay, maybe three times—of getting away from her family.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
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
Levy told the crowd that he and Gosling spent a lot of their downtime on set daydreaming about Ghost Rider and swapping ideas.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 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
But there is left, particularly on very long trips, a large area for daydreaming or even, God help us, for thought.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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.
