Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense dreams, present participle dreaming, past tense, past participle dreamed, past tense, past participle dreamtlanguage note: American English uses the form dreamed as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either dreamed or dreamt.
1. countable noun
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep.
He had a dream about Claire.
I had a dream that I was in an old study, surrounded by leather books.
Synonyms: vision, nightmare, illusion, delusion More Synonyms of dream
2. verb
When you dream, you experience imaginary events in your mind while you are asleep.
Ivor dreamed that he was on a bus. [VERB that]
She dreamed about her baby. [V + about/of]
[Also VERB]
Synonyms: have dreams, have a dream, have nightmares, have a nightmare More Synonyms of dream
3. countable noun
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen.
He had finally accomplished his dream of becoming a pilot.
My dream is to have a house in the country.
You can make that dream come true.
Synonyms: ambition, wish, fantasy, plan More Synonyms of dream
4. verb
If you often think about something that you would very much like to happen or have,you can say that you dreamof it.
As a schoolgirl, she had dreamed of becoming an actress. [V + of/about]
For most of us, a brand new designer kitchen is something we can only dream about. [V + of/about]
I dream that my son will attend college and find a good job. [VERB that]
5. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
You can use dream to describe something that you think is ideal or perfect, especially if it is something that you thought you would never be able to have or experience.
He had his dream house built on the banks of the river Bure.
...a dream holiday to Jamaica.
Synonyms: fantasy, perfect, ideal More Synonyms of dream
6. singular noun
If you describe something as a particular person's dream, you think that it would be ideal for that person and that he or she would like itvery much.
Greece is said to be a botanist's dream.
7. singular noun
If you say that something is a dream, you mean that it is wonderful.
[informal]
8. countable noun [usually singular]
You can refer to a situation or event that does not seem real as a dream, especially if it is very strange or unpleasant.
When the right woman comes along, this bad dream will be over.
9. verb [with neg]
If you say that you would notdream of doing something, you are emphasizing that you would never do it because you think it is wrong or is not possible or suitable for you.
[emphasis]
I wouldn't dream of making fun of you. [VERB + of]
My sons would never dream of expecting their clothes to be ironed. [Vof -ing/n]
10. verb
If you say that you neverdreamedthat something would happen, you are emphasizing that you did not think that it wouldhappen because it seemed very unlikely.
[emphasis]
I never dreamed that I would be able to afford a home here. [VERB that]
Who could ever dream of a disaster like this? [VERB + of]
I find life more charming and more astonishing than I'd ever dreamed. [VERB]
11. See also pipe dream, wet dream
12.
See dream on
13.
See in a dream
14.
See in your dreams!
15.
See like a dream
16.
See of your dreams
17.
See in your wildest dreams
18.
See beyond your wildest dreams
Phrasal verbs:
See dream up
More Synonyms of dream
dream in British English
(driːm)
noun
1.
a.
mental activity, usually in the form of an imagined series of events, occurring during certain phases of sleep
b.
(as modifier)
a dream sequence
c.
(in combination)
dreamland
▶ Related adjective: oneiric
2.
a.
a sequence of imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake; daydream; fantasy
b.
(as modifier)
a dream world
3.
a person or thing seen or occurring in a dream
4.
a cherished hope; ambition; aspiration
5.
a vain hope
6.
a person or thing that is as pleasant, or seemingly unreal, as a dream
7. go like a dream
verbWord forms: dreams, dreaming, dreamed or dreamt (drɛmt)
8. (may take a clause as object)
to undergo or experience (a dream or dreams)
9. (intransitive)
to indulge in daydreams
10. (intransitive)
to suffer delusions; be unrealistic
you're dreaming if you think you can win
11. (whenintr, foll by of or about)
to have an image (of) or fantasy (about) in or as if in a dream
12. (intransitive; foll byof)
to consider the possibility (of)
I wouldn't dream of troubling you
adjective
13.
too good to be true; ideal
dream kitchen
Derived forms
dreamful (ˈdreamful)
adjective
dreamfully (ˈdreamfully)
adverb
dreaming (ˈdreaming)
noun, adjective
dreamingly (ˈdreamingly)
adverb
dreamless (ˈdreamless)
adjective
dreamlessly (ˈdreamlessly)
adverb
dreamlessness (ˈdreamlessness)
noun
dreamlike (ˈdreamˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
Old English drēam song; related to Old High German troum, Old Norse draumr, Greek thrulos noise
dream in American English
(drim)
noun
1.
a sequence of sensations, images, thoughts, etc. passing through a sleeping person's mind
2.
a fanciful vision of the conscious mind; daydream; fantasy; reverie
3.
the state, as of abstraction or reverie, in which such a daydream occurs
4.
a fond hope or aspiration
5.
anything so lovely, charming, transitory, etc. as to seem dreamlike
verb intransitiveWord forms: dreamed or dreamt (drɛmt), ˈdreaming
6.
to have a dream or dreams
7.
to have daydreams
8.
to think (of) as at all possible, desirable, etc.
I wouldn't dream of going
verb transitive
9.
a.
to have (a dream or dreams)
b.
to have a dream of
10.
to spend in dreaming
with away or out
11.
to imagine as possible; fancy; suppose
adjective
12.
that realizes one's fondest hopes; ideal
her dream house
Idioms:
dream up
Derived forms
dreamful (ˈdreamful)
adjective
dreamlike (ˈdreamˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
ME dream, dreme: form < OE dream, joy, music < IE base *dher-, to buzz, hum (> dorbeetle); sense < ON draumr, akin to Ger traum, Du droom < IE base *dhreugh-, to deceive
More idioms containing
dream
a dream ticket
do something like a dream
COBUILD Collocations
dream
absolute dream
anxiety dream
bad dream
chase a dream
dreams were dashed
harbour a dream
pursue a dream
recurring dream
secret dream
strange dream
vivid dream
weird dream
Examples of 'dream' in a sentence
dream
We are dreaming about progressing in that cup.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Friendships help ambition and dreams you share turn into positive action.
The Sun (2016)
America's theme park capital is the place to make all of your holiday dreams come true.
The Sun (2016)
I like it when you see something and you dream about what is beyond.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Do you have bad dreams?
The Sun (2016)
When a video game villain gets fed up with being a baddie, he decides to fulfil his dream of being good.
The Sun (2016)
ALMOST three quarters of homeowners still longing for their dream house fear they will need two more moves to get it.
The Sun (2016)
I finally have my dream move to Tottenham.
The Sun (2016)
By the 1950s the town was furnishing the American dream.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was not the exciting experience she had dreamt about.
Pamela Norris Words Of Love: Passionate Women from Heloise to Sylvia Plath (2006)
She had dreamt about it long enough.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The skill is to release the good dreams.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They dream about spending an hour between the sheets with their fantasy man.
The Sun (2006)
When they saw these adjoining homes for sale they thought it was their dream house.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There are bits of me that would love to treat it like a bad dream.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They say that over time you learn how to dream of different things.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Luck brings a dream holiday much closer.
The Sun (2012)
You can be truly in love yet keep your own ambitions and dreams going.
The Sun (2012)
What happens in my dream life affects me during the day.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Winning luck links your family with a dream holiday prize.
The Sun (2006)
So he basically made my dream come true.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Think what that dream represented and try to make it come true for yourself.
The Sun (2014)
Sharing your hopes and dreams will deepen love.
The Sun (2014)
My mother told me about a dream she had before the sleeping stopped.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Army people are particularly good at dreaming up new ways of expressing themselves.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The fantasy and dream scenes are effective.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Our dream is finally coming true.
Christianity Today (2000)
Follow these simple pointers and the web will offer a musical experience beyond the dreams of high street record stores of old.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They had a weekend which non-league players around the country can only dream about.
The Sun (2008)
What could possibly be wrong with this freewheeling new take on the American dream?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And that's something with which anyone who has had to abandon their youthful dreams or ideals can empathise.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Quotations
Your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visionsBible: Joel
We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleepWilliam ShakespeareThe Tempest
I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasyWilliam ShakespeareRomeo and Juliet
Judge of your natural character by what you do in your dreamsRalph Waldo EmersonJournals
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhoodMartin Luther Kingspeech at 1963 Civil Rights March
In other languages
dream
British English: dream /driːm/ NOUN
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep.
He had a dream about her.
American English: dream
Arabic: حُلْم
Brazilian Portuguese: sonho
Chinese: 梦
Croatian: san
Czech: sen
Danish: drøm
Dutch: droom
European Spanish: sueño soñar
Finnish: uni
French: rêve
German: Traum
Greek: όνειρο
Italian: sogno
Japanese: 夢
Korean: 꿈
Norwegian: drøm
Polish: sen marzenie
European Portuguese: sonho
Romanian: vis
Russian: сон
Latin American Spanish: sueño proyecto, deseo, esperanza
Swedish: dröm när man sover
Thai: ความฝัน
Turkish: düş rüya
Ukrainian: мрія
Vietnamese: giấc mơ
British English: dream /driːm/ VERB
When you dream, you experience imaginary events in your mind while you are asleep.
Ivor dreamed that he was on a bus.
She dreamed about her baby.
American English: dream
Arabic: يَحْلُمُ
Brazilian Portuguese: sonhar
Chinese: 梦想
Croatian: sanjati
Czech: mít sen
Danish: drømme
Dutch: dromen
European Spanish: soñar
Finnish: uneksia
French: rêver
German: träumen
Greek: ονειρεύομαι
Italian: sognare
Japanese: 夢を見る
Korean: 꿈꾸다
Norwegian: drømme
Polish: wyśnić
European Portuguese: sonhar
Romanian: vis
Russian: спать
Latin American Spanish: soñar
Swedish: drömma
Thai: ฝัน
Turkish: düş görmek
Ukrainian: мріяти
Vietnamese: mơ ngủ
British English: dream ADJECTIVE
You can use dream to describe something that you think is ideal or perfect.
He had his dream house built on the banks of the river.
American English: dream
Brazilian Portuguese: dos sonhos
Chinese: 理想的
European Spanish: soñado
French: de rêve
German: Traum-
Italian: dei sogni
Japanese: 夢の
Korean: 꿈같은
European Portuguese: de sonho
Latin American Spanish: soñado
All related terms of 'dream'
bad dream
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep .
dream on
If you tell someone to dream on , you mean that something they are hoping for is unlikely to happen .
dream up
If you dream up a plan or idea, you work it out or create it in your mind .
wet dream
If a man has a wet dream , he has a dream about sex which causes him to have an orgasm while he is asleep .
dream debut
The debut of a performer or sports player is their first public performance, appearance, or recording .
dream guest
A guest is someone who is visiting you or is at an event because you have invited them.
dream team
A dream team is the best possible group of people to be in a sports team or to do a particular job .
dream world
→ dreamland
lucid dream
a dream in which the dreamer is aware that he or she is dreaming and can sometimes influence the course of the dream
pipe dream
A pipe dream is a hope or plan that you have which you know will never really happen .
vivid dream
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep .
weird dream
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep .
anxiety dream
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep .
dream ticket
If journalists talk about a dream ticket , they are referring to two candidates for political positions , for example President and Vice-President, or Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, who they think will be extremely successful .
dream vision
a conventional device used in narrative verse , employed esp. by medieval poets, that presents a story as told by one who falls asleep and dreams the events of the poem
in a dream
If you say that you are in a dream , you mean that you do not concentrate properly on what you are doing because you are thinking about other things.
secret dream
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen .
strange dream
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep .
waking dream
an experience you have while you are awake that feels similar to dreaming
absolute dream
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen .
American Dream
the U.S. ideal according to which equality of opportunity permits any American to aspire to high attainment and material success
dream analysis
the analysis of dreams as a means of gaining access to the unconscious mind , typically involving free association
like a dream
If you say that someone does something like a dream , you think that they do it very well . If you say that something happens like a dream , you mean that it happens successfully without any problems .
recurring dream
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep .
a dream ticket
two well-known people, for example politicians or actors, who are expected to work well together and to have a great deal of success
chase a dream
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen .
dream destination
The destination of someone or something is the place to which they are going or being sent.
pursue a dream
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen .
go like a dream
to move, develop , or work very well
harbour a dream
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen .
the American Dream
the notion that the American social, economic , and political system makes success possible for every individual
daydream
If you daydream , you think about pleasant things for a period of time, usually about things that you would like to happen .
do something like a dream
to do something very well
Chinese translation of 'dream'
dream
(driːm)
Word forms:ptppdreameddreamt
n(c)
(when asleep) 梦(夢) (mèng) (场(場), chǎng)
(= ambition) 梦(夢)想 (mèngxiǎng) (个(個), gè)
vi
to dream about (when asleep) 梦(夢)到 (mèngdào)
to have a dream about sb/sth (when asleep) 梦(夢)到某人/某事 (mèngdào mǒurén/mǒushì)
an imagined series of events experienced in the mind while asleep
I had a dream that I was in an old house.
Synonyms
vision
I have a vision of a society free of exploitation and injustice.
nightmare
Jane did not eat cheese because it gave her nightmares.
illusion
The rapid changes of lighting created an illusion of movement.
delusion
I was under the delusion that he intended to marry me.
hallucination
Perhaps the footprint was a hallucination.
reverie
2 (noun)
Definition
a goal or aim
My dream is to have a house in the country.
Synonyms
ambition
My ambition is to sail round the world.
wish
Clearly she had no wish for his company.
fantasy
Everyone's had a fantasy about winning the lottery.
plan
Her plan was to teach the children at home.
hope
Kevin hasn't given up hope of being fit.
goal
The goal is to raise as much money as possible.
design
Is there some design in having him here?
aim
a research programme that has failed to achieve its aim
desire
I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
objective
His objective was to play golf and win.
aspiration
the needs and aspirations of our pupils
Holy Grail (informal)
pipe dream
The plan is nothing more than a pipe dream.
3 (noun)
Definition
a daydream
I wandered around in a kind of dream.
Synonyms
daydream
She perpetually drifted off into daydreams and made up fantasy stories in her head.
trance
Like a man in a trance, he made his way back to the rooms.
daze
I was walking around in a daze.
reverie
The voice brought him out of his reverie.
stupor
He was drinking himself into a stupor every night.
hypnotic state
4 (noun)
Definition
a wonderful person or thing
This car really is a dream to drive.
Synonyms
delight
To my delight, the plan worked perfectly.
pleasure
We exclaimed with pleasure when we saw them.
joy
Salter shouted with joy.
beauty
She is known as a great beauty.
treasure
Charlie? Oh he's a treasure, he's so kind.
gem
Castel Clara was a gem of a hotel.
marvel
pearler (Australian, slang)
beaut (Australian, New Zealand, slang)
1 (verb)
Definition
to experience (a dream)
She dreamt about her childhood.
Synonyms
have dreams
have a dream
have nightmares
have a nightmare
hallucinate
2 (verb)
Definition
to indulge in daydreams
She spent most of her time looking out of the window and dreaming.
Synonyms
daydream
He daydreams of being a famous journalist.
be preoccupied
stare into space
be in a trance
be lost in thought
be in cloud-cuckoo-land
stargaze
be in a reverie
build castles in the air or in Spain
(adjective)
Definition
beautiful or pleasing
a dream holiday in Jamaica
Synonyms
fantasy
perfect
This is a perfect time to buy a house.
ideal
She decided I was the ideal person to take over this job.
Phrasal verbs
See dream of something or someone
See dream something up
related words
related adjectiveoneiric
related phobiaoneirophobia
Quotations
Your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions [Bible: Joel]We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep [William Shakespeare – The Tempest]I talk of dreams; Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy [William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet]Judge of your natural character by what you do in your dreams [Ralph Waldo Emerson – Journals]I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood [Martin Luther King – speech at 1963 Civil Rights March]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of aim
Definition
intention or purpose
a research programme that has failed to achieve its aim