lucid dream

American  

[loo-sid dreem] / ˈlu sɪd ˈdrim /

noun

1. a dream in which a person is aware that they are dreaming and can often control action in the dream.

   I had a nightmare that I was lost at sea, but I was able to turn it into a lucid dream and I made myself find a radio to call for help.

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verb (used without object)

1. to have a dream in which the person is aware that they are dreaming and can often control action in the dream.

   She says she lucid dreams every few months and is training herself to do so more often.

Other Word Forms

• lucid dreaming noun

Etymology

Origin of lucid dream

First recorded in 1913; coined by Dutch psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden (1860–1932)

Example Sentences

Only 40 minutes into the competition and now it is beginning to feel like a lucid dream.

From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024

According to Scott, what Crolla experienced therefore, was more a lucid dream, conjured after the event, than a real memory,

From BBC • May 8, 2024

Everyone suddenly, it seems, wants to lucid dream.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2024

Both spoke highly of Dresler and were pleased to hear that lucid dream research is advancing.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2023

It wasn’t a matter of turning the wheel but of willing it, as in a lucid dream.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides