fever dream

[fee-ver dreem]

noun

1. a particularly distressing, scary, or bizarre dream that a person may have when experiencing a fever.

   Bedridden with pneumonia, he had a fever dream in which bony old cats were climbing the walls of his room.

2. a situation, circumstance, or experience, typically unfavorable, that is odd enough to be likened more to a dream than to reality.

   So far, college has felt like a fever dream—ever since I arrived I’ve just felt so out of place.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fever dream¹

First recorded in 1795–1805