dream

[ dreem ]

/ drim /

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See synonyms for: dream / dreaming / dreams / dreamt on Thesaurus.com

noun

a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.

the sleeping state in which this occurs.

an object seen in a dream.

an involuntary vision occurring to a person when awake.

a vision voluntarily indulged in while awake; daydream; reverie.

an aspiration; goal; aim: A trip to Europe is his dream.

a wild or vain fancy.

something of an unreal beauty, charm, or excellence.

verb (used without object), dreamed or dreamt, dream·ing.

to have a dream.

to indulge in daydreams or reveries: He dreamed about vacation plans when he should have been working.

to think or conceive of something in a very remote way (usually followed by of): I wouldn't dream of asking them.

verb (used with object), dreamed or dreamt, dream·ing.

to see or imagine in sleep or in a vision.

to imagine as if in a dream; fancy; suppose.

to pass or spend (time) in dreaming (often followed by away): to dream away the afternoon.

adjective

most desirable; ideal: a dream vacation.

Verb Phrases

dream up, to form in the imagination; devise: They dreamed up the most impossible plan.

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Origin of dream

1200–50; Middle English dreem,Old English drēam joy, mirth, gladness, cognate with Old Saxon drōm mirth, dream, Old Norse draumr,Old High German troum dream; modern sense first recorded in ME but presumably also current in Old English, as in Old Saxon

synonym study for dream

1. Dream, nightmare, and vision refer to the kinds of mental images that form during sleep. Dream is the general term for any such succession of images. A nightmare is a dream that brings fear or anxiety: frightened by a nightmare. Vision refers to a series of images of unusual vividness, clarity, order, and significance, sometimes seen in a dream.

OTHER WORDS FROM dream

dreamful, adjectivedream·ful·ly, adverbdream·ful·ness, noundream·ing·ly, adverb

dreamlike, adjectivere·dream, verb, re·dreamed or re·dreamt, re·dream·ing.un·dreamed, adjectiveun·dream·ing, adjectiveun·dream·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for dream

Anger Is an Energy is a tremendously entertaining read, and I urge everyone to pick up a copy and start dreaming again.
The Rancid Ballad of Johnny Rotten: His Memoir Seethes With Anger—And Charm|Legs McNeil|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The first time I saw Glacier National Park, it was the magical fantasy land I had always been dreaming about,” says Chin.
Adventure Photographer Jimmy Chin: Defying the Rational, Physically and Creatively|Oliver Jones|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How many more “bedroom radicals” like Aqsa may be dreaming of such exploits is, at this point, impossible to say.
The Bride of ISIS Revealed|Jamie Dettmer|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A 55-year-old tourist died of a heart attack while dreaming of his hometown, Briansk.
Crimea: A Patriotic Russian Vacation From Hell|Anna Nemtsova|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Eighty-nine percent occurred when the person was awake, rather than dreaming or dozing.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death|Patricia Pearson|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Miss Anne smiled kindly, not dreaming of his perplexity, amused by his Southern warmth.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
She thought, knowing Janet to be at liberty and never dreaming that she would refuse: "I am saved--for the present."
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
It was lying sound asleep on a mud-bank, not dreaming, doubtless, of the daring bipeds who were about to disturb its repose.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
I felt myself quite the enchanted princess and put in most of my time dreaming about the prince.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Not long—it set me dreaming though, and a very romantic dream it was, worthy of Ethel herself.
The Daisy Chain|Charlotte Yonge

British Dictionary definitions for dream

dream

/ (driːm) /

noun

mental activity, usually in the form of an imagined series of events, occurring during certain phases of sleep
(as modifier)a dream sequence
(in combination)dreamland Related adjective: oneiric

a sequence of imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake; daydream; fantasy
(as modifier)a dream world

a person or thing seen or occurring in a dream

a cherished hope; ambition; aspiration

a vain hope

a person or thing that is as pleasant, or seemingly unreal, as a dream

go like a dream to move, develop, or work very well