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
verb phrase
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
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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dreamlesslyadverb
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dreamlessadjective
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dreamfullyadverb
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dreamlikeadjective
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undreamlikeadjective
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dreamlessnessnoun
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dreamfulnessnoun
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undreamedadjective
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undreamingadjective
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redreamverb
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dreaminglyadverb
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dreamfuladjective
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dreamingnoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have dreamtperfect
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has dreamedperfect 3rd person singular
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have dreamedperfect
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has dreamtperfect 3rd person singular
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is dreamingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are dreamingprogressive
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have been dreamingperfect progressive
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am dreamingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been dreamingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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dreamingparticiple
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dreamssingular 3rd person
Past
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had dreamtperfect
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had dreamedperfect
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were dreamingprogressive plural
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had been dreamingperfect progressive
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was dreamingprogressive singular
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dreamedparticiple
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dreamedsimple
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dreamtparticiple
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dreamtsimple
Future
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”
Explanation
A dream is one of the little movies in your mind that play at night, or a type of hope: you might dream of being a doctor. Everyone dreams, and dreams tend to be weird, but the images and sounds that fill your head as you sleep are just part of the meaning of this word. People also have dreams that are kind of like plans and goals: many people dream of being movie stars. A good car runs like a dream. Something too good to be true feels like a dream. If you're acting confused, someone might say, "Stop dreaming!"
Vocabulary lists containing dream
Name On: Pro Sports Team Names, Part 2
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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"Encounter"
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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.
He determinedly ignores all the house’s faults so he can savor it as his dream residence for the few fleeting years that remain of his life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
For Keeton, it’s been a dream come true.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
"I'm just simply a referee who's trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup."
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
"I'm just simply a referee who's trying to live his dream - the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
The next step in realizing Pops’s dream is renovating the motel portion of the OldMill, but like Nate said, there’s no rush on that.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
