dream
Americannoun
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a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.
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the sleeping state in which this occurs.
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an object seen in a dream.
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an involuntary vision occurring to a person when awake.
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a vision voluntarily indulged in while awake; daydream; reverie.
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an aspiration; goal; aim.
A trip to Europe is his dream.
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a wild or vain fancy.
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something of an unreal beauty, charm, or excellence.
verb (used without object)
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to have a dream.
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to indulge in daydreams or reveries.
He dreamed about vacation plans when he should have been working.
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to think or conceive of something in a very remote way (usually followed byof ).
I wouldn't dream of asking them.
verb (used with object)
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to see or imagine in sleep or in a vision.
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to imagine as if in a dream; fancy; suppose.
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to pass or spend (time) in dreaming (often followed byaway ).
to dream away the afternoon.
adjective
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most desirable; ideal.
a dream vacation.
verb phrase
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dream up to form in the imagination; devise.
They dreamed up the most impossible plan.
noun
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mental activity, usually in the form of an imagined series of events, occurring during certain phases of sleep
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( as modifier )
a dream sequence
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( in combination )
dreamland
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a sequence of imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake; daydream; fantasy
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( as modifier )
a dream world
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a person or thing seen or occurring in a dream
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a cherished hope; ambition; aspiration
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a vain hope
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a person or thing that is as pleasant, or seemingly unreal, as a dream
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to move, develop, or work very well
verb
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(may take a clause as object) to undergo or experience (a dream or dreams)
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(intr) to indulge in daydreams
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(intr) to suffer delusions; be unrealistic
you're dreaming if you think you can win
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to have an image (of) or fantasy (about) in or as if in a dream
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to consider the possibility (of)
I wouldn't dream of troubling you
adjective
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too good to be true; ideal
dream kitchen
More idioms and phrases containing dream
Related Words
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 Word Forms
- dreamful adjective
- dreamfully adverb
- dreamfulness noun
- dreaming noun
- dreamingly adverb
- dreamless adjective
- dreamlessly adverb
- dreamlessness noun
- dreamlike adjective
- redream verb
- undreamed adjective
- undreaming adjective
- undreamlike adjective
Etymology
Origin of dream
First recorded in 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”
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.
"If you've won the Masters, especially for Rory, it really is a dream come true. So you're happy to go back there and I don't think the additional commitments are ever a distraction," said Brown.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
Even if this proves to be the exception, a near-term reversion to prewar oil prices sounds like a pipe dream.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
That Sindarov is now in a position to dream of a world title at all is due in large part to the vacuum at the pinnacle of chess since Carlsen’s withdrawal in 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
After his boyfriend dies tragically, Rowan is forced to start from scratch, mourning the dream of the life he once had alongside his partner and trying to rent out his now-spare bedroom.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
The brightest parts of his days were the moments he allowed himself to dream of their reunion.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.