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Synonyms

dreamy

American  
[dree-mee] / ˈdri mi /

adjective

  • dreamier,
    comparative
  • dreamiest
    superlative
  1. of the nature of or characteristic of dreams; visionary.

  2. vague; dim.

  3. soothing; restful; quieting.

    dreamy music.

  4. given to daydreaming or reverie.

  5. abounding in dreams; characterized by or causing dreams.

  6. Informal. wonderful; marvelous.

    He has a dreamy new convertible.


dreamy British  
/ ˈdriːmɪ /

adjective

  1. vague or impractical

  2. resembling a dream in quality

  3. relaxing; gentle

    dreamy music

  4. informal wonderful

  5. having dreams, esp daydreams

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

Etymology

Origin of dreamy

First recorded in 1560–70; dream + -y 1

Explanation

Things that are dreamy seem slightly strange and unreal, but in a lovely way. A dreamy tune on the radio might make you close your eyes and smile. Your favorite tea shop might have a dreamy atmosphere, and your favorite movie might be slow and dreamy, with dreamlike images and meditative music. If a person is dreamy, she tends to live in her head, thinking or daydreaming. Informally, you can also describe something or someone that's wonderful or nice to look at as dreamy: "He's my favorite singer, and he's so dreamy." This casual meaning began as US teen slang in the 1940s.

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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:

Smith makes treats like Skittles, gummy bears and pasta festooned with marigold petals, narrating each step in a baby-soft voice while wearing dreamy fits.

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026

For generations, summer in Europe has been languid and dreamy, bringing fine weather and lengthy days on sunny beaches and terraces.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

Wooden panels carved by the Indonesian Mentawai people in the first half of the 20th century are animated by playful monkeys that recall the dreamy animals of Henri Rousseau.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The first of their three late-career triumphs, “A Bigger Bang” brings attitude, funk, dirty rockers and dreamy ballads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

His blue eyes looked dreamy for a moment.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

While Justin Vernon of Bon Iver contributes writing and production to several tracks, the dreamier aesthetic of his own records is nowhere to be found.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

It became even dreamier when he took the outright lead after four birdies on the first nine without dropping a shot.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2025

Here, in contrast, he found a softer, dreamier tone; often, he’s singing in a falsetto that Legend described as “haunting and beautiful.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2020

Here, much of that interior work falls to the direction, split between Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, which renders the story warmer, dreamier, more tactile.

From New York Times ● Apr. 28, 2020

Even as infants, Florida was the squirmy one, and Dallas the quieter, dreamier one.

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

After that came the singer’s dreamiest hit, “Somewhere Over Laredo,” and an especially sultry take on “Watermelon Moonshine,” the nostalgia-drunk love song from 2023 that’s probably still her finest moment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026

Britain’s dreamiest indie-pop export has come along since making her highly anticipated Seattle debut at Chop Suey two and a half years ago.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

When blended with vegan milk, maple syrup, and non-dairy chocolate, silken tofu whips up into the dreamiest mousse.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2021

The last iteration is the strangest and dreamiest and reverses almost everything, especially gender.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2020

In the other rooms of the house her parents and Rafik were wrapped in their deepest, dreamiest breaths by now.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

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