reverie
Americannoun
-
a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing.
lost in reverie.
- Synonyms:
- brown study, abstraction
-
a daydream.
-
a fantastic, visionary, or impractical idea.
reveries that will never come to fruition.
-
Music. an instrumental composition of a vague and dreamy character.
noun
-
an act or state of absent-minded daydreaming
to fall into a reverie
-
a piece of instrumental music suggestive of a daydream
-
archaic a fanciful or visionary notion; daydream
Etymology
Origin of reverie
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Old French reverie, resverie, derivative of rever, resver, raver “to speak wildly, wander, dream”; see origin at rave 1, -ery
Explanation
If you're relaxing on the beach, dreaming of how you will never have to get up and go back to work, you're engaged in a reverie, or pleasant daydream. There's nothing wrong with reverie, but if you follow its path into English, you'll see how closely it is connected to madness. The noun is from French rêverie, from a Middle French word meaning "wild speech, delirium," from rever "to roam, speak wildly." Middle French rever is also the source of English rave, as in raving mad.
Vocabulary lists containing reverie
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Diary of Anne Frank
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Raisin in the Sun
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
That alone would have meant a nearly $200,000 cost increase for the roughly 95,000 pounds of coffee Reverie roasts annually.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Corrin appears in an episode titled Hotel Reverie, alongside Issa Rae.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025
Thais Perkins is the owner of Reverie Books in Austin, Texas, and the parent of a middle school student and high school student.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2021
Reverie The extreme-virtual-reality drama concludes its season with the team on the trail of one of their own, who’s been kidnapped.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2018
Reverie, in the flush of our warm youth, generally indulges in the future.
From The Young Duke by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield
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.
