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to dream

to dream

∞ 2.7
To think about pleasant things while you are awake
  • verb
  • /drim/
: soñar despierto
  • Walt Disney said if you can dream it, you can do it.
  • dream big
  • dream of success
  • dream of a future

So that allowed me to dream out loud.

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Examples

  • I began to dream, as Leonard had taught us so well to do.

    Academic text (2015)
  • So remember to never stop dreaming and enjoy the ride.

  • So that allowed me to dream out loud.

  • Only in India do millions of young people dream of working in a call centre.

  • And, come on, we always dreamed of living like that.

  • I used to dream about my motorcycle.

  • Like many of you, I'd always dreamed of coming to Stanford.

  • So dream big and dream beyond your wildest imagination.

  • Ever since I was a child, I've dreamed of coming here.

  • As a child, I often dreamt of traveling to distant planets in a spaceship.

Synonyms

to dream of
vsto dream
592 2.7

To wish for something you want, often something unlikely to happen

means experiencing a series of awake thoughts rather than wishing for outcomes
to envision
vsto dream
160 4.1

To picture something in your mind, often a possible future

is more spontaneous and fanciful rather than planned future imagining
to fantasize
vsto dream
  • US
110 4.5

To imagine things that are not real because you want them

focuses on spontaneous series of images and pleasant fanciful ideas
to daydream
vsto dream
40 2.3

To imagine pleasant things while you are awake and not paying attention

is described as a series of images or thoughts while awake
to fantasy
vsto dream
2 6.9

To imagine things that are unlikely or impossible

is about ongoing awake thoughts and images rather than deliberate plans
to stargaze
vsto dream
  • Informal
1 6.4

To think about pleasant, unlikely things instead of paying attention

prefers general pleasant awake thoughts without implying neglect of surroundings
to woolgather
vsto dream
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To think about pleasant things instead of paying attention

is a general term for pleasant awake fantasies not marked as dated

Antonyms

∞ 2.6

To direct attention or thoughts toward something specific

Idioms

A thing you wanted for a long time that finally happens

like a dream
  • Informal
51 4.9

Very well and smoothly, as if perfect

39 4.2

To have the life you always wanted after hard work

To try to reach a personal goal despite problems

Phrasal Verbs

592 2.7

To wish for something you want, often something unlikely to happen

to dream up
  • Informal
46 3.9

To think of a new or unusual idea

to dream big
  • Informal
7 3.4

To have very big goals for the future

Work to make a dream come true

Compounds

145 3.9

The idea that anyone in the United States can become successful through hard work

125 3.1

An idea that anyone in the US can become successful by working hard

pipe dream
  • Informal
25 6.8

A hope or plan that is not likely to happen

A goal someone wants for most of their life

wet dream
  • Slang
10 8.8

An unrealistic hope that is not likely to happen

wet dream
  • Offensive
10 8.1

A sexual dream during sleep that makes a boy or man release semen

A hope for something you cannot achieve

A hope or plan for the future that is no longer possible

1 9.9

A woman in a story who is quirky, free and lively and inspires a man to enjoy life

dream trance
  • Archaic
1 8.4

A type of dance music with soft, melodic sounds popular in the late 1990s

7.2

A hope that seems unlikely to come true

9.9

A view that the American dream hides racism and unfair treatment of some groups

How Imaginative

to fantasize
  • US
110 4.5
to dream
∞ 2.7
to imagine
∞ 1.3
to muse
33 6.1

Surface Forms

dream infinitive
dreamed past
dreamed past participle
dreaming present participle
dreams third person singular

Etymology

The verb dream used for imagining while awake comes from drēam ('joy'), so to dream during the day is to picture pleasant things or plans in your mind. A helpful way to remember this use is to see it as enjoying a happy picture of the future.