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daydreaming

daydreaming

1 3.2
Thinking about pleasant things while not paying attention
  • noun
  • /ˈdeɪˌdriːmɪŋ/
translation icon : ensoñación
  • Many students find that daydreaming helps them escape the stress of schoolwork.

So that's so, so a lot of it is daydreaming.

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Examples

  • He enjoyed daydreaming about his future travels while sitting by the window.

  • And in school, daydreaming is considered bad.

  • And yes, psychologists have even gone so far as to show that daydreaming doesn't have to be a waste of time.

  • During the meeting, she was caught daydreaming and missed important information.

Synonyms

daydream
vsdaydreaming
43 2.6

Pleasant thoughts that distract you from what is happening now

is the ongoing activity of letting the mind wander rather than a single episode
reverie
vsdaydreaming
15 7.5

A pleasant daydream when you are lost in thought

is an activity of wandering thoughts while awake rather than just being absorbed
dreaming
vsdaydreaming
7 2.8

Thinking about things you want or imagine while you are awake

is broader mind wandering toward pleasant thoughts rather than vivid visions
revery
vsdaydreaming
  • US
2 9.9

Being lost in pleasant thoughts and not noticing things around you

is the active process of letting thoughts wander rather than a passive state
dreaminess
vsdaydreaming
1 4.2

A relaxed, comfortable feeling of being lost in pleasant daydreams

is the intentional activity of letting thoughts wander rather than a mood
woolgathering
vsdaydreaming
  • Archaic
9.0

Lost in daydreams and not paying attention

focuses on pleasant imaginative wandering rather than careless absent-minded distraction
oneirism
vsdaydreaming
  • Specialized
9.9

A state when you feel like you are dreaming while awake

is a milder pleasant mind wandering not intense dreamlike hallucinations

Antonyms

122 3.3

The ability to give all your attention to something

14 2.9

A state of being watchful and ready to notice and act on danger or problems

How Absorbing

musing
25 6.3
daydreaming
1 3.2
thinking
872 1.8

Surface Forms

daydreaming singular
daydreamings plural

Morphology

daydreaming = daydream (transparent) = day + dream + ing

The noun is a straightforward -ing nominalization of 'daydream', whose meaning is compositionally built from 'day' + 'dream'.

Etymology

Daydreaming is a simple combination of day and dream, where day means 'the time you are awake' and dream means 'something you imagine'; so it is like 'dreaming' during the day while awake. That's why daydreaming means letting your mind wander into pleasant or imaginative thoughts instead of paying attention.