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daydream

American  
[dey-dreem] / ˈdeɪˌdrim /

noun

  1. a reverie indulged in while awake.

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • daydreamer noun
  • daydreamy adjective

Etymology

Origin of daydream

First recorded in 1675–85; day + dream

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.

My ridiculous daydreams about confessing my true feelings to Trey had always been sprinkled with puns or jokes, strategies for laughing it off without missing a beat, if he wasn’t receptive.

From Literature

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

Sometimes, that violin note went on too long and my daydreams faded away.

From Literature

"The office cubicle has trapped me again," he says as he daydreams of a holiday on the continent.

From BBC

But there was no time now to daydream about yesterday.

From Literature

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.