dream1 noundream2 verb
dreamdream1 /driːm/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 
WORD ORIGINdream1
Origin:
Old English dream ‘noise, great happiness’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- After the accident, Clarke had to give up his dream of becoming a racing driver.
- Alfonso's dream was to be a professional ball player.
- Ben seemed lost in a dream.
- Her dream was to go to Hollywood and become a movie star.
- I had a strange dream last night -- you and I were in some sort of tropical forest.
- I never remember my dreams when I wake up.
- Last year her dream came true and she was offered a chance to study in America.
- None of my dream are about work.
- The events of the past few days seemed like a bad dream.
- When I was younger, I had recurring dreams in which I was constantly pursued by soldiers.
- When she woke, she found that it was all a dream.
- You and Bobby were in my dream last night.
- Dreaming dreams, hoping for magic.
- His dream came to him in flashes.
- Now they must try to put their dreams back together again.
- She had no dreams for me, so I created my own.
- She, herself, Nicie, into dreams, fantasies.
- The subconscious does not distinguish between desires and fears, between dreams and nightmares.
- Towards morning, Peter dreamed the old dream for the first time in months if not years.
- Your wife and me-no more dreams.
THESAURUSwhen you are sleeping
the thoughts, images, and feelings that go through your mind while you are asleep: · I had a strange dream last night -- you and I were in some sort of forest.
a very unpleasant and frightening dream: · She still has terrible nightmares about the accident.
a series of pleasant thoughts that go through your mind when you are awake, so that you do not notice what is happening around you: · Neil was in a daydream, and didn’t hear the teacher call his name.
formal a state of imagining or thinking about pleasant things, that is like dreaming: · The doorbell rang, shaking her from her reverie.
something that you want to do something very special that you want to do and that you think about a lot, especially something that is not very likely to happen: · As a teenager, his dream was to become a professional footballer.
something that you want to achieve and that you work hard to achieve, especially in your work: · My ambition had always been to start my own business.
the important things that people want from their lives – used especially about the things a society or a large group of people wants: · It’s important that young people think seriously about their career aspirations.
something exciting that you imagine happening to you, which is extremely unlikely to happen and often involves sex: · schoolboy fantasies
a dream that is impossible or is extremely unlikely to happen: · Is world peace no more than a pipe dream?
Longman Language Activatora dream a series of events that you seem to experience while you are asleep: · I never remember my dreams when I wake up.· When she woke, she found that it was all a dream.dream about: · None of my dreams are about work.have a dream: · I had a strange dream last night -- you and I were in some sort of tropical forest.bad dream (=an unpleasant or frightening dream): · The events of the past few days seemed like a bad dream.recurring dream (=a dream that you keep having): · When I was younger, I had recurring dreams in which I was constantly pursued by soldiers.
a very unpleasant and frightening dream: · He woke from a nightmare, trembling with fear.have a nightmare: · Years after the accident I still have nightmares about it.
a series of pleasant thoughts that you experience when you are awake, so that you do not notice what is happening around you: · Ingrid was brought out of her daydream by a shout from her mother.in a daydream: · Neil seemed lost in a daydream, and didn't hear what I said.
a state of imagining or thinking about pleasant things, that is like dreaming: · The doorbell rang, shaking me from my reverie.· Sometimes he would drift off into reverie, and gaze out of the window for hours.
to have a dream · He had a dream in which he was running through the forest, being chased by a bear.have a dream about · I keep having the same dream about trying to get across a deep river.
past tense and past participle dreamt British or dreamed American to have a dream or have dreams: · Do animals dream?· I hoped that someone would wake me up, that I had only been dreaming.dream about/of: · I dreamt about you last night.· Stephanie often dreams of long sea journeys.dream (that): · I dreamed that I was lying on a beach in the Caribbean.· Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
to think pleasant thoughts when you are awake and when you should be paying attention to something else: · At school, he was always being told to 'stop daydreaming'.daydream about: · Colin began to daydream about what he would do if he won the lottery.
when something happens that you did not expect something that is unexpected surprises you because you did not expect it: · There have been unexpected delays on the freeway because of an accident.completely/totally unexpected: · Bobby's decision to leave the band was totally unexpected.
: unforeseen circumstances/problems/changes etc situations, problems, changes etc that you did not expect or prepare for, and which usually cause you difficulty: · We had to cancel our visit to Egypt because of unforeseen problems.· Once you have started the training you will not be allowed to leave, unless unforeseen circumstances arise.
if something that happens is a surprise or comes as a surprise , you did not expect it to happen, and so you are surprised by it: · Winning the award was a total surprise.be a surprise/come as a surprise to: · Fazio's announcement came as a surprise to most political observers.
informal if something happens out of the blue , you did not expect it, and you are very surprised or shocked by it: · Out of the blue, he asked me to come with him to Europe.· One evening, Angela phoned me out of the blue and said she was in some kind of trouble.
informal one that you did not expect, so that you are very surprised: · Mary's the last person you'd expect to be stopped for drunk driving· It's such a quiet little village - it's the last place you'd expect something like this to happen.
to happen or do something when someone is not expecting it and not ready to deal with it: · I was caught unawares by the hug and the kiss he gave me.· Her rude comments really caught me off guard.
formal if something happens contrary to expectations , it is the opposite of what people expected to happen: · Contrary to expectations, the play was a big success.contrary to somebody's expectations: · Michael won the competition, contrary to everyone's expectations.
happening unexpectedly, because no one was told about it: · Investigators from the health department made unannounced visits to the hospital in March.arrive unannounced/show up unannounced: · My brother is famous for showing up at our houses unannounced, usually around dinner time.
if something happens that you did not expect in your wildest dreams , it is so good that you never thought that there was any possibility that it could happen: · In our wildest dreams, we could not have expected how successful this program would be.never in somebody's wildest dreams: · Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she would win the gold medal.
if you get more than you had bargained for , you have more problems or difficulties while doing something than you had expected or prepared for: · Their summer vacation turned out to be much more expensive than they'd bargained for.· We got more than we bargained for when we bought the house. There's so much work to be done!
something that you want to achieve in your life something very special that you want to do and that you think about a lot, especially something that is not very likely to happen: somebody's dream is to do something: · Her dream was to go to Hollywood and become a movie star.dream of doing something: · After the accident, Clarke had to give up his dream of becoming a racing driver.somebody's dream comes true (=they finally do what they want): · Last year her dream came true and she was offered a chance to study in America.
something which you want to achieve in the future, especially in your work, and which you will try hard to achieve: somebody's ambition is to do something: · Her ambition was to go to law school and become an attorney.achieve/fulfil your ambition (=finally do what you wanted to do): · Earlier this year, he achieved his ambition of competing in the Olympic games.
something important that a person, company, or government hopes to achieve in the future, even though it may take a long time: achieve/reach a goal: · By 1975, they had achieved their goal of providing free education for every child.somebody's goal is to do something: · Our goal is to become the biggest-selling brand of coffee in the country.short-term goal/long-term goal (=one that you hope to achieve soon/a long time in the future): · I took a job as a teacher with the long-term goal of becoming a principal of a school.
a particular amount or total that you want to achieve, for example an amount of products you must sell or produce: · We produced 16,000 cars this year, but our target was 17,500.achieve/reach/meet a target: · The Government is struggling to reach its target of $23 billion in spending cuts.set (somebody) a target (=say what the target is): · I set myself a target of learning 20 new words each week.
a word meaning the important things that people want from their lives, used especially when you are talking about all of society or large groups within it: · A government should reflect the hopes, values and aspirations of society.· the aspirations of the people of Eastern Europeaspirations for: · What are our aspirations for the future?· The parents have very high aspirations for their children.career/democratic/economic/political etc aspirations: · a handsome and rich young senator with presidential aspirationshigh aspirations: · The immigrants who came to settle in America were determined people with high aspirations.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meaning 1verbs
willingness to re-examine cherished beliefs Visiting Disneyland has fulfilled a boyhood dream. A persistent ringing roused Christina from a pleasant dream. Goodnight, Becky. Sweet dreams.
· I had a dream about you last night.
adjectives (=unpleasant or frightening)· The movie gave the kids bad dreams.
· Sometimes I have a strange dream in which I try to speak but I can’t.
(=very clear)· In a vivid dream he saw a huge coloured bird flying above his head.
(=that you have many times)· Having recurrent dreams is a very common experience.
phrases (=seem unreal)· That summer was so wonderful it seemed like a dream.
(=said to someone who is going to bed)· Good night, Sam! Sweet dreams!
Meaning 2verbs· I had dreams of becoming a doctor.
(=do or get what you want)· He had finally achieved his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal.
(=try to do or get what you want)· She left her home town to pursue her dreams.
literary (=have a wish)· We can dream great dreams for ourselves and others.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + dream (=a wish to achieve great things)· She was a little girl with big dreams.
(=about something that cannot happen)· Having a number one record had seemed an impossible dream.
(=that you had when you were a child)· I had a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut.
(=that you have had all your life)· His lifelong dream had been to write a novel.
(=that it will take a long time to achieve)· Peace in this area may still be a distant dream.
phrases (=something you want happens)· I’d always wanted to go to Africa and at last my dream came true.
(=the perfect one for you)· We can help you find the house of your dreams.
(=used to say that you had never expected something to happen)· Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win the competition.
(=better or more than you ever hoped for)· Suddenly he was wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· He told her all about his dreams and ambitions.
willingness to re-examine cherished beliefs Visiting Disneyland has fulfilled a boyhood dream.· His dreams of glory were shattered when he lost to Federer.
(=the best holiday you can imagine)· They won a dream holiday for two to the Caribbean.
(=all the things someone hopes for)· We talked about all our hopes and dreams for the future.
(=something you want, but will never happen)· For a small club, winning the cup final will always be the impossible dream.
A persistent ringing roused Christina from a pleasant dream. (=make it impossible for someone to achieve or get something they want)· He spoke yesterday about the injury which shattered his Olympic dream.
Goodnight, Becky. Sweet dreams.· He had long ago forgotten the dreams of his youth.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· This was like a bad dream coming true.· If any one of these three is not present, it is a bad dream.· Well, it happened, one night, between bad dreams.· The bad dream had been there all the time, of course, up in the jungles on the eastern border.· But then ... it was like waking up out of a bad dream.· Bill felt as though he were living a bad dream.· Be understanding if he or she suddenly starts wetting the bed or crying for attention following a bad dream in the night.· I was used to my bad dreams and the attacks of panic that followed them.
· How long can you hang on to an impossible dream?· Territory for peace is not an impossible dream.· Opponents to the listing see it as an expensive attempt at an impossible dream and a misuse of the Endangered Species Act.· It sounds like an impossible dream.· Was no one around to warn her this was an impossible dream?· The nearest approximation of this impossible counter-colonialist dream that we have is disco.· Unity now seems an impossible dream.
· They passed through two gates, one of horn through which true dreams went, one of ivory for false dreams.· Is it a true dream, or am I deceiving myself?· We measure it in remaining true to our dream.· And more than all, the broken chessman and its evidence of a true dream.· If only I could believe that this was no true dream!
· In his wildest dreams, it had never occurred to Fabio that he might help any of these children.· Sorcerer felt dazed and half asleep, still dreaming wild dawn dreams.· Never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought I would even go to Hollywood, let alone work with people like him.· And here you both are, sweeter than my wildest dreams.· It is riches beyond my wildest dreams and well worth fighting the Second World War for.· To the contrary, we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.· This Tank Girl-style posse is only seven months old, but already it has grown beyond the founders' wildest dreams.· Our mission reaps rewards far beyond our wildest dreams!
NOUN· But just a couple of days after they moved into their dream home in Quedgeley, it was stolen and torched.· Finally, my family had a dream home and I had my own room with a view of Mount Fuji.· And, a shambles: Government attacked over the road that will blight a dream home.· Purchased for $ 300, 000 in April 1979, the peak was to become the Ryans' retirement dream home.· Cracking up ... the dream home that's become a couple's nightmare.· Behind them, on the screen, were live pictures of another dream home being devoured by flames.· She has vivid, longing dreams about living in it-literally her dream home.· Dream on, dream homes, until I come again!
· John Combes and his wife lived out their lives in their dream house, and their children stayed here until the 1760s.· Sadly, they were forced to rent their dream house to tenants for the $ 25 monthly mortgage.· He ended by building his dream house in the cosy lee of a gentle hill and away from the roar of the sea.· A palace, Carolyn told herself, a dream house.
· Saracens installed him as their coach and he had his dream job, if not one for life.
· For now, it is only a pipe dream.· Yet collective, national education re-form seems mostly a pipe dream.· The November 1992 unveiling quickly became a pipe dream, and the museum now plans to finish the new wing incrementally.· It was ready because the artfully crafted pipe dream of the land traffickers was beginning to sour.· Of course, it's a pipe dream.· What a pipe dream, we thought, as many children were getting no education at all.· How are you going to ensure that Care in the Community is not just a pipe dream?
· But, when the viewer returns from this lovingly created dream world to reality, they find it very difficult to cope.· That dream world has more solidity than a house uninhabited.· Nor are Wolfgang's imaginative adventures as king of his dream world, Kingdom of Back, in any way pathological.· He was fidgety and in a dream world when being given instruction in a group.· Lit in this way a room is a simulacrum of a dream world.· That shop was like a dream world to me, full of secrets and wonders.· But your dream world of wheeling and dealing become confusing.· His design had to reveal the pattern and phrasing of the dream world he wished to conjure up.
VERB· Instead, it was the skinny younger brother who blossomed and then fulfilled that dream.· A worldwide network of short-wave stations with directional aerials was established, fulfilling Marconi's dream of global radio communication.· His is not the usual tale of an athlete fueled by passion, fulfilling a lifelong dream at the Olympic Games.· If only I'd had one of them, it seems I could have had success, fulfilled my dreams.
· A worldwide network of short-wave stations with directional aerials was established, fulfilling Marconi's dream of global radio communication.· Our son Dan was the first to fulfill that dream.· In the fresh light of day you are full of confidence and exultation as you prepare to fulfill your dream.· But if he solved this problem, and built this machine... it would fulfill all the dreams.· His is not the usual tale of an athlete fueled by passion, fulfilling a lifelong dream at the Olympic Games.
· It seemed to her now that she had lived in a dream.· The Republicans running for president now come to Arizona so they might live their dreams while we relive our nightmares.· You don't get a second chance to live your dreams, do you?· This means that you live in a dream.· He seemed to have his head in the clouds, to be living in a dream of gold.· Now, McCain sits on the sideline and watches another Republican come to Arizona to live his dream.· Since Tuesday, when I went to tea with Ivy, I have been living in a dream of confusion and discomfort.
· In the fourth sentence, the focus suddenly shifts to talking about creators in general and how they realize their dreams.· They went on dreaming, but they could not exercise their power to realize their dreams.· But even on the verge of realizing her dream, Gupta is having second thoughts.· Now, however, he realized that those dreams were just fantasies and could never be fulfilled.· But the man who made it possible for Texans to realize their dreams of legally hiding handguns, Republican Gov.· He never came close to realizing his dream of winning the presidency.· Some people dream great dreams, but they never develop a plan complete with goals and tactics to realize their dreams.· Hope dies when there is no way of realizing our dreams.
· But this time it seemed that the dream would never end.· Yet collective, national education re-form seems mostly a pipe dream.· Those few short months with Tony seemed sometimes like a dream to her.· It seemed a dream come true-what more could I have asked for?· With the homesteads and the animals passing him downriver, it all seemed a dream.· He seems to know about dreams.· Truly great leaders such as Oppenheimer seem to incarnate the dream and become one with it.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► live the dream
- The new car drives like a dream.
- But elsewhere Dream Stuff does not soothe.Life is like a dream because it is beyond control.
- He kept talking about it, like a dream.
- It is like a dream come true.
- Others, like dreams of fame or wealth, are egocentric.
- Some, like dreams of providing a great service, are altruistic.
- These tiresome but, one hopes, isolated problems aside, our Metro 1.1S is still running like a dream.
- Those few short months with Tony seemed sometimes like a dream to her.
- If you think he'll change, you're living in a dream world.
- Brilliant and thoroughly counterculture, Kaczynski is a dream crime suspect for our 1990s infotainment-please society.
- He was dreaming; maybe it was the way he would dream for the rest of his short life.
- I wondered for a moment whether I was dreaming, and then silently gave thanks.
- In many ways, though, this is a dream job for Barkley, a big sports fan.
- Maybe the Cro-Magnon cave people were dreaming of the animals they hoped to see when they drew them on the cave walls.
- Then, of course, as they are dreams, that sense that nothing exists directly behind you either is omnipresent.
- "I can beat you, no problem." "Yeah, in your dreams."
- A pirate who might have been a Susan in his Dreams.
- Believing in your Dreams is a powerful magnetic force!
- He was a prophet too, and spoke to men in their dreams.
- He was very frightened of the spirits and they ran after him in his dreams.
- Her spine twisted; in her dreams she twisted, turning toward that clearing again, again.
- I know they will come back to haunt me in my dreams.
- No doubt he was studying the Cabala in his dreams.
- The gods often spoke to men in their dreams.
- A palace, Carolyn told herself, a dream house.
- But just a couple of days after they moved into their dream home in Quedgeley, it was stolen and torched.
- Cracking up ... the dream home that's become a couple's nightmare.
- Finally, my family had a dream home and I had my own room with a view of Mount Fuji.
- It was all preparation for her dream job: a foreign correspondent, roaming the world in a trench coat.
- John Combes and his wife lived out their lives in their dream house, and their children stayed here until the 1760s.
- Sadly, they were forced to rent their dream house to tenants for the $ 25 monthly mortgage.
- Except only in dreams would we be that flexible and sure-footed.
- He seemed to be moving through mud, his actions hampered as if in a dream.
- I can't see him physically but I meet with him in dreams.
- She moved as if she were in a dream, wading through viscous liquid.
- The town had emerged like a place in a dream.
- This means that you live in a dream.
- Tod's hidden mind insists, in dream form, that Tod feels pain.
- You were asleep; in a dream over this woman, and time went by.
- But winning a honeymoon just months before your wedding is a dream come true.
- For him, being aboard the raft was a dream come true.
- For Ruth it will be a dream come true as she becomes the youngest female licensed amateur rider in history.
- It really is a dream come true.
- It would be a dream come true to be able to observe my favourite species in a more natural situation.
- That would be a dream come true, but everybody around the country wants to win it.
- Winning a number was a dream come true for Deborah Fullford of Cambridge, the final Massachusetts woman selected.
- Making it all the way to the NFL is a pipe dream for most athletes.
- For now, it is only a pipe dream.
- How are you going to ensure that Care in the Community is not just a pipe dream?
- It was ready because the artfully crafted pipe dream of the land traffickers was beginning to sour.
- Of course, it's a pipe dream.
- The November 1992 unveiling quickly became a pipe dream, and the museum now plans to finish the new wing incrementally.
- This is not some pipe dream.
- What a pipe dream, we thought, as many children were getting no education at all.
- Yet collective, national education re-form seems mostly a pipe dream.
- But such philosophical dissent, at this point, is the stuff of dreams in a dreamworld.
- How does a political system handle the incredibly difficult and complicated value allocations that are the stuff of politics?
- Our ideas and hopes for the future are the stuff of life.
- This was the stuff of life.
- Within this realm the stuff of dreams and nightmares can coalesce from the very air.
- The business has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
- But for vast numbers of children in the developing world, such gifts are beyond their wildest dreams.
- It is riches beyond my wildest dreams and well worth fighting the Second World War for.
- It was a world beyond my wildest dreams; one I had only seen on celluloid in the cinema at Fontanellato.
- Our mission reaps rewards far beyond our wildest dreams!
- Route 66 Magazine, a three-year-old quarterly, is growing beyond the wildest dreams of its publisher, Paul Taylor.
- Six years ago, Dexter and Birdie Yager had succeeded in their business beyond their wildest dreams.
- The cartel succeeded beyond its wildest dreams: by last month the price was brushing $ 30.
- To the contrary, we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
- But never in my wildest dreams did I expect such a transformation as this.
WORD FAMILYadjectivedreamdreamlessdreamynoundreamdreamerverbdreamadverbdreamily
1while sleeping a series of thoughts, images, and feelings that you experience when you are asleep: I had lots of dreams last night.dream about a dream about drowningin a dream In my dream I flew to a forest of enormous trees.2wish a wish to do, be, or have something – used especially when this seems unlikely: Her dream is to make a movie.dream of (doing) something She had dreams of university.fulfil/realize a dream I fulfilled a childhood dream when I became champion. I have just met the man of my dreams (=the perfect man)!beyond your wildest dreams (=better than anything you imagined or hoped for)3dream house/home/job etc something that seems perfect to someone: I’ve finally found my dream house. Win a dream holiday for two in San Francisco!4in a dream having a state of mind in which you do not notice or pay attention to things around you: Ruth went about her tasks in a dream.5be a dream come true if something is a dream come true, it happens after you have wanted it to happen for a long time: Marriage to her is a dream come true.6like a dream extremely well or effectively: The plan worked like a dream.7be/live in a dream world to have ideas or hopes that are not correct or likely to happen: If you think that all homeless people have it as easy as me, then you are living in a dream world.8 be a dream be perfect or very desirable: Her latest boyfriend is an absolute dream. Some performers are a dream to work with; others are not.somebody’s dream (=something someone would really like) She’s every adolescent schoolboy’s dream.9in your dreams spoken used to say in a rude way that something is not likely to happen: ‘I’m going to ask her to go out with me.’ ‘In your dreams!’COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 1verbshave a dream· I had a dream about you last night.adjectivesa bad dream (=unpleasant or frightening)· The movie gave the kids bad dreams.a strange/weird dream· Sometimes I have a strange dream in which I try to speak but I can’t.a vivid dream (=very clear)· In a vivid dream he saw a huge coloured bird flying above his head.a recurrent/recurring dream (=that you have many times)· Having recurrent dreams is a very common experience.phrasesbe/seem like a dream (=seem unreal)· That summer was so wonderful it seemed like a dream.Sweet dreams! (=said to someone who is going to bed)· Good night, Sam! Sweet dreams!COLLOCATIONS– Meaning 2verbshave a dream/dreams· I had dreams of becoming a doctor.achieve/fulfil/realize a dream (=do or get what you want)· He had finally achieved his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal.pursue/follow a dream (=try to do or get what you want)· She left her home town to pursue her dreams.dream a dream literary (=have a wish)· We can dream great dreams for ourselves and others.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + dreambig/great dreams (=a wish to achieve great things)· She was a little girl with big dreams.an impossible dream (=about something that cannot happen)· Having a number one record had seemed an impossible dream.a childhood dream (=that you had when you were a child)· I had a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut.a lifelong dream (=that you have had all your life)· His lifelong dream had been to write a novel.a distant dream (=that it will take a long time to achieve)· Peace in this area may still be a distant dream.phrasesa dream comes true (=something you want happens)· I’d always wanted to go to Africa and at last my dream came true.the man/woman/house etc of your dreams (=the perfect one for you)· We can help you find the house of your dreams.not/never in your wildest dreams (=used to say that you had never expected something to happen)· Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win the competition.beyond your wildest dreams (=better or more than you ever hoped for)· Suddenly he was wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.THESAURUSwhen you are sleepingdream the thoughts, images, and feelings that go through your mind while you are asleep: · I had a strange dream last night -- you and I were in some sort of forest.nightmare a very unpleasant and frightening dream: · She still has terrible nightmares about the accident.daydream a series of pleasant thoughts that go through your mind when you are awake, so that you do not notice what is happening around you: · Neil was in a daydream, and didn’t hear the teacher call his name.reverie formal a state of imagining or thinking about pleasant things, that is like dreaming: · The doorbell rang, shaking her from her reverie.something that you want to dodream something very special that you want to do and that you think about a lot, especially something that is not very likely to happen: · As a teenager, his dream was to become a professional footballer.ambition something that you want to achieve and that you work hard to achieve, especially in your work: · My ambition had always been to start my own business.aspirations the important things that people want from their lives – used especially about the things a society or a large group of people wants: · It’s important that young people think seriously about their career aspirations.fantasy something exciting that you imagine happening to you, which is extremely unlikely to happen and often involves sex: · schoolboy fantasiespipe dream a dream that is impossible or is extremely unlikely to happen: · Is world peace no more than a pipe dream?dream1 noundream2 verb
dreamdream2 ●●● S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle dreamed or dreamt /dremt/) VERB TABLE
dream
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | dream |
| he, she, it | dreams | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | dreamed, dreamt |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have dreamed, dreamt |
| he, she, it | has dreamed, dreamt | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had dreamed, dreamt |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will dream |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have dreamed, dreamt |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am dreaming |
| he, she, it | is dreaming | |
| you, we, they | are dreaming | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was dreaming |
| you, we, they | were dreaming | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been dreaming |
| he, she, it | has been dreaming | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been dreaming |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be dreaming |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been dreaming |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Do animals dream?
- Going abroad for a holiday was something our grandparents could only dream about.
- I dreamed that I was lying on a beach in the Caribbean.
- I dreamt about you last night.
- I hoped that someone would wake me up, that I had only been dreaming.
- I was sure I mailed the letter yesterday, but I must have dreamed it.
- Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
- Maura had never dreamt that she could feel like this.
- Most of the students were dreaming during the lecture.
- Stephanie often dreams of long sea journeys.
- When I was at college I dreamed of becoming a great novelist.
- And she had not been half asleep and dreaming this time.
- Even now we're married I look at her and she's like a girl that you might dream about.
- He was dreaming; maybe it was the way he would dream for the rest of his short life.
- I would not dream of toying with you.
- Paradoxically, while dreaming we are without imagination and we are not aware that we are dreaming.
- Some thought it was the breakthrough scientists had dreamed of.
- The Rockets can close their eyes and dream about tasting dessert before they've earned it.
Longman Language Activatora dream
a series of events that you seem to experience while you are asleep: · I never remember my dreams when I wake up.· When she woke, she found that it was all a dream.dream about: · None of my dreams are about work.have a dream: · I had a strange dream last night -- you and I were in some sort of tropical forest.bad dream (=an unpleasant or frightening dream): · The events of the past few days seemed like a bad dream.recurring dream (=a dream that you keep having): · When I was younger, I had recurring dreams in which I was constantly pursued by soldiers.
a very unpleasant and frightening dream: · He woke from a nightmare, trembling with fear.have a nightmare: · Years after the accident I still have nightmares about it.
a series of pleasant thoughts that you experience when you are awake, so that you do not notice what is happening around you: · Ingrid was brought out of her daydream by a shout from her mother.in a daydream: · Neil seemed lost in a daydream, and didn't hear what I said.
a state of imagining or thinking about pleasant things, that is like dreaming: · The doorbell rang, shaking me from my reverie.· Sometimes he would drift off into reverie, and gaze out of the window for hours.
to have a dream · He had a dream in which he was running through the forest, being chased by a bear.have a dream about · I keep having the same dream about trying to get across a deep river.
past tense and past participle dreamt British or dreamed American to have a dream or have dreams: · Do animals dream?· I hoped that someone would wake me up, that I had only been dreaming.dream about/of: · I dreamt about you last night.· Stephanie often dreams of long sea journeys.dream (that): · I dreamed that I was lying on a beach in the Caribbean.· Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.
to think pleasant thoughts when you are awake and when you should be paying attention to something else: · At school, he was always being told to 'stop daydreaming'.daydream about: · Colin began to daydream about what he would do if he won the lottery.
to imagine something you want to do or want to happen also fantasise British to think about something that you would like to do or that you would like to happen, especially when it is very unlikely that you will do it or that it will happen: fantasize about doing something: · I often fantasize about living in a big house with tennis courts and a swimming pool.· Many men fantasize about sleeping with someone who is not their partner.
to spend a short time imagining something pleasant, so that you forget where you are and what you are doing, especially when you are bored: · Mark had begun to daydream, and didn't even hear the teacher's question.daydream about/of: · Carol sat at her desk, daydreaming about meeting Mel Gibson.· When Charles tapped me on the shoulder I was daydreaming of golden beaches and palm trees.
to imagine something pleasant that you would like to do or to happen, especially if it is possible that it might happen: dream of/about: · When I was at college I dreamed of becoming a great novelist.· Going abroad for a holiday was something our grandparents could only dream about.dream (that): · Maura had never dreamt that she could feel like this.
to think of a new idea, design, or name for something to think of an idea for a new product, machine etc for the first time, and design it and make it: · Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone.· Television was invented in the 1920s.· Theremin invented the weird electronic instrument that provided soundtracks to 1950s science-fiction movies.
to make something new in art, literature, fashion etc: · Agatha Christie created the character Hercule Poirot.· Mary Quant created a whole new look for women's clothes in the 1960s.
informal to produce a new idea, name, method etc by thinking carefully about it: think up/come up with something: · See if you can come up with a better name for it.· We need to think up some new ideas for the Christmas show.think something up: · We don't just think this stuff up. It's the way good lawyers always operate.
to invent a way of doing something, especially one that is clever and complicated: · The exercise programme was devised by a leading health expert.· Scientists have devised a test that shows who is most likely to get the disease.
to invent something such as a story or song, usually without writing it down: make up something: · For Halloween, the children made up stories about wolves and witches.· When my mother was in a good mood, she would make up songs about us.make something up: · That's a good riddle. Did you make it up yourself?
formal to think of a new idea, plan, or piece of work and develop it in your mind, until it is ready to be used, made etc: · "We wanted to make something new and original,'' said Colin Smith, the man who conceived the show.· The painting is beautifully conceived in every way -- composition, colour and texture.conceive of: · The young Edvard Munch conceived of a radically new approach to his art.
to think of a plan, idea, method etc, especially one that other people think is strange or unlikely to succeed: dream up something: · Banks seem to spend a lot of time dreaming up ways to get more money from their customers.· The machine looked like it had been dreamed up by a surrealist painter.dream something up: · "It's too complicated for me," Polly whispered; "how do they dream these things up?"
to invent a word or phrase: · The term "black hole" was coined in 1969 by the American scientist John Wheeler.· A Polish refugee coined the term "genocide" to describe attempts to kill an entire group of people.
to want something that you are very unlikely to get to want something that you have wanted for a long time, but which you are unlikely to get: · It was the kind of house I'd always dreamed of having.· To think that what I've dreamt of all my life is coming true!dream of doing something: · She dreamt of becoming a famous novelist.· Every jazz-lover at some time of his life has dreamed of assembling a band of his own favourite musicians.
to very much want to have something or do something, especially when this used to happen or exist in the past, or when it may do in the future - used especially in stories or literature: long for: · He longed for the good old days when teachers were shown respect.· He was longing for everyone to leave, so that he could think in peace about what had happened that day.long to do something: · More than anything, I long to have someone who loves me for myself.
to want something so much that you do not feel happy or complete without it : yearn for: · The people yearned for peace, and the chance to rebuild their shattered lives.· Hannah yearned for a child, and felt desperately sad whenever she saw other women with their babies.yearn to do something: · I have always yearned to travel.
to want something that you are unlikely to get very much, especially secretly, and over a long period of time: · Paula had always hankered after a traditional white wedding.· I had a good job and a nice apartment, but I still hankered for the country life.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He’s got the sort of money that you and I can only dream about. I was sure I posted the letter but I must have dreamt it.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES willingness to re-examine cherished beliefs Visiting Disneyland has fulfilled a boyhood dream. A persistent ringing roused Christina from a pleasant dream. Goodnight, Becky. Sweet dreams.
He’s got the sort of money that you and I can only dream about. I was sure I posted the letter but I must have dreamt it.· He told her all about his dreams and ambitions.
willingness to re-examine cherished beliefs Visiting Disneyland has fulfilled a boyhood dream.· His dreams of glory were shattered when he lost to Federer.
(=the best holiday you can imagine)· They won a dream holiday for two to the Caribbean.
(=all the things someone hopes for)· We talked about all our hopes and dreams for the future.
(=something you want, but will never happen)· For a small club, winning the cup final will always be the impossible dream.
A persistent ringing roused Christina from a pleasant dream. (=make it impossible for someone to achieve or get something they want)· He spoke yesterday about the injury which shattered his Olympic dream.
Goodnight, Becky. Sweet dreams.· He had long ago forgotten the dreams of his youth.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· I am doing what I love and I am playing for a team I always dreamed about.· You will begin to dream about money the way you dreamed about overdue term papers when you were in college.· Even now we're married I look at her and she's like a girl that you might dream about.· I used to dream about her during the years I was married.· So this was the moment she had dreamed about?· I still dream about the clock.· Ferdi would be kissing her, his hands would find the places Volker had only dreamed about.· Suddenly I no longer had any place to dream about.
· I started dreaming again until I heard footsteps outside.· There are certain dreams that once they are dead can never be dreamed again.· He went to bed and dreamed again.· So I told her, you have that dream again, you tell me about it.· Once in his own, he dreamed again of Tatiana, but she was far away from Broadstairs.
· I am doing what I love and I am playing for a team I always dreamed about.· Right in the middle of the action, where he has always dreamed of being but never quite reached.· The holiday was one I have always dreamed about and I would highly recommend the centre to any outdoor enthusiast.· I know a highly successful radiologist who has always dreamed of being a singer, but he has no voice.· I had always dreamed of living in the country.· Feeling unloved is the story of Judy Garland's life; she always dreamed of something better.· They have left, believing they could do better for themselves elsewhere, and then having gone they dream always of returning.
· The future was more secure than he had ever dreamed possible.· Everything you ever dreamed of, they make it right here.· No Forest board would ever dream of sacking him.· Mass-circulation magazines had a larger pulpit than any meeting-hall diet guru ever dreamed.· Reality is a much more tedious, recalcitrant beast than was ever dreamed of in Phil Redmond's philosophy for Brookside.· In 1933, the Columbia was by far the biggest river anyone had ever dreamed about damming.· And she had everything she had ever dreamed of - more.· Today the Hardys have their own successful Amway business, earning and giving away more money than they ever dreamed.
· He had never dreamed that it would happen to him.· They never dreamed of getting them back.· With Chris he had known a joy he had never dreamed of.· People often display powers in time of fire that they would never dream of in ordinary life.· Even then Dean was at a point most players would never dream of reaching.· He never dreamed he would be the butt of such a classic, almost vaudevillian joke.· I never dreamed of being the Springbok captain.· He had never dreamed a person could be so powerless in his power.
· With my figure I can only dream.· You had it all, boys, the big silver spoon most people can only dream about.· Ferdi would be kissing her, his hands would find the places Volker had only dreamed about.· She was getting to do something most kids can only dream about.· Around the walls are the type of prize catches that most anglers could only dream about.· I had only dreamed about him.· Bailey, 24, still could only dream about making his first Olympic team.· There are the chronically shod who would only dream of stepping out of their shoes in the shower or in bed.
· Here she was in her sixties and still dreaming like a schoolgirl about a man.· Sorcerer felt dazed and half asleep, still dreaming wild dawn dreams.· And you're still dreaming this impossible dream about you and some fantastic job in publishing.· Too many of them still dream big dreams that not enough others share.· He is still dreaming of running the good marathon.· The former quarterback still dreamed of throwing the long ball.
· No theatre producer could have dreamed up a more dramatic introduction.· Whatever plan he dreams up is bound to run up against the ambitions and obstinacy of a lot of powerful colleagues.· Dave dreamed up the evil pint in a cellar under Gastons, the pub his runs in Preston.· When they take that habit back to their own office, they often dream up better ways to accomplish their goals.· I was to keep on with the Radio Column, some reviews, and any special features I could dream up.· Whoever dreamed up City Lights was a genius, I thought more than once.· What devilish torture had Raimundo dreamed up now?· The rest you dreamed up for yourself, you obvious wee shite.
VERB· Mann sat back on his chair, closed his eyes and began to dream.· Now-hungry, yet trapped in an endless meeting-you begin to dream about owning a restaurant yourself.· When she fell asleep, she began to dream.· You will begin to dream about money the way you dreamed about overdue term papers when you were in college.· Soon, though, she began to dream - confused, disturbing dreams, and all of them about Julius.· I began to dream and I made myself wake up.· So begin by dreaming up at least three possibilities.· We began to dream about owning a business where we could work side by side.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► who would have dreamt that ...?► wouldn’t dream of (doing) somethingPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► live the dream
- Abe Lincoln had probably never dreamed there would be colleges like this, for blacks, in the South.
- He had never dreamed a person could be so powerless in his power.
- She had a tremendous gift for making people see their own potential and do things they never dreamed possible.
- That's because large events involve extra considerations you never dreamed of when doing a small conference.
- They never dreamed of getting them back.
- Wella's high quality, creamy formulations give you a look you never dreamed you could achieve at home.
- With Chris he had known a joy he had never dreamed of.
- Making it all the way to the NFL is a pipe dream for most athletes.
- For now, it is only a pipe dream.
- How are you going to ensure that Care in the Community is not just a pipe dream?
- It was ready because the artfully crafted pipe dream of the land traffickers was beginning to sour.
- Of course, it's a pipe dream.
- The November 1992 unveiling quickly became a pipe dream, and the museum now plans to finish the new wing incrementally.
- This is not some pipe dream.
- What a pipe dream, we thought, as many children were getting no education at all.
- Yet collective, national education re-form seems mostly a pipe dream.
- But such philosophical dissent, at this point, is the stuff of dreams in a dreamworld.
- How does a political system handle the incredibly difficult and complicated value allocations that are the stuff of politics?
- Our ideas and hopes for the future are the stuff of life.
- This was the stuff of life.
- Within this realm the stuff of dreams and nightmares can coalesce from the very air.
- The business has succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
- But for vast numbers of children in the developing world, such gifts are beyond their wildest dreams.
- It is riches beyond my wildest dreams and well worth fighting the Second World War for.
- It was a world beyond my wildest dreams; one I had only seen on celluloid in the cinema at Fontanellato.
- Our mission reaps rewards far beyond our wildest dreams!
- Route 66 Magazine, a three-year-old quarterly, is growing beyond the wildest dreams of its publisher, Paul Taylor.
- Six years ago, Dexter and Birdie Yager had succeeded in their business beyond their wildest dreams.
- The cartel succeeded beyond its wildest dreams: by last month the price was brushing $ 30.
- To the contrary, we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
- But never in my wildest dreams did I expect such a transformation as this.
WORD FAMILYadjectivedreamdreamlessdreamynoundreamdreamerverbdreamadverbdreamily
1wish [intransitive, transitive] to think about something that you would like to happen or havedream of/about (doing) something She dreamed of becoming a chef. He’s got the sort of money that you and I can only dream about.dream (that) She dreamed that one day she would be famous.GRAMMARYou dream of doing something: · I’ve always dreamed of being an artist. ✗Don’t say: I’ve always dreamed to be an artist.Grammar guide ‒ VERBS2while sleeping [intransitive, transitive] to have a dream while you are asleepdream about I dreamt about you last night.dream (that) It’s quite common to dream that you’re falling.3not pay attention [intransitive] to think about something else and not give your attention to what is happening around you SYN daydream: She had been dreaming and had not followed the conversation.4imagine [intransitive, transitive] to imagine that you have done, seen, or heard something that you have not: I was sure I posted the letter but I must have dreamt it.5never dreamed (that) used to say that you did not think that something would happen: We never dreamed that we would get through to the next round.6wouldn’t dream of (doing) something spoken used to say that you would never do something because you think it is bad or wrong: I wouldn’t dream of letting strangers look after my own grandmother!7who would have dreamt that ...? spoken used to express surprise about something that has happened: Who would have dreamt that this would happen?dream something ↔ away phrasal verb to waste time by thinking about what may happen: She would just sit in her room dreaming away the hours.dream on phrasal verb [only in imperative] spoken used to tell someone that they are hoping for something that will not happen: You think I’m going to help you move house? Dream on!dream something ↔ up phrasal verb to think of a plan or idea, especially an unusual one: He was continually dreaming up new schemes to promote and enlarge the business.