daydream

American  

[dey-dreem] / ˈdeɪˌdrim /

noun

1. a reverie indulged in while awake.

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verb (used without object)

1. to indulge in such a reverie.

   Synonyms:

   woolgather, muse, dream, fantasize

daydream British  

/ ˈdeɪˌdriːm /

noun

1. a pleasant dreamlike fantasy indulged in while awake; idle reverie

2. a pleasant scheme or wish that is unlikely to be fulfilled; pipe dream

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verb

1. (intr) to have daydreams; indulge in idle fantasy

Other Word Forms

• daydreamer noun
• daydreamy adjective

Etymology

Origin of daydream

First recorded in 1675–85; day + dream

Example Sentences

The success of the bearded, ass-kicking Ranger marked a stunning reversal of fortune for Norris, who grew up a shy, unathletic child, who "used to daydream about being strong...to beat up the bullies".

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

There, the mother darns socks and sweeps the endless dust, while the thoroughly American children daydream in midcentury fantasia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

For millennials and Gen Z kids like mine, there was once a golden era when you could just daydream all day about getting your invitation to Hogwarts without any associations with a full-time transphobe.

From Salon • May 30, 2025

This kind of thinking is everywhere: Blue Origin is sending Katy Perry way high up into the sky, a stunt to help sell a sci-fi daydream of one day taking a bus to Moon.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2025

We daydream that she hides me in one of the rooms of the inn and I get to stay.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• pipe dream
• reverie