head-in-the-clouds

7.9

Thinking in a dreamy way and not noticing everyday tasks

idiom

Informal

: soñador

She always has her head-in-the-clouds and forgets about her appointments.

Examples

She is so head-in-the-clouds that she forgets her appointments.
Teachers worry he is too head-in-the-clouds to pay attention in class.
His head-in-the-clouds attitude makes it hard for him to focus on daily tasks.
Why are you always so head-in-the-clouds?
She tends to be a bit head-in-the-clouds, often dreaming about far-off places instead of focusing on her work.
His head-in-the-clouds attitude makes it hard for him to finish projects on time.
While her head-in-the-clouds ideas are imaginative, they often lack practical application.

Synonyms

dreamy

vshead-in-the-clouds

13 3.3

Looks lost in thought and not paying attention

leans more toward having unrealistic ideas rather than just vague appearance

scatterbrained

vshead-in-the-clouds

Offensive

3 7.3

A person who is not organized, easily distracted, and often forgets things

focuses instead on dreamy unrealistic thinking rather than poor organization

head in the clouds

vshead-in-the-clouds

Informal

1 7.2

To daydream and not pay attention to what is around you

is the same idea but presented as a hyphenated adjective form

daydreamy

vshead-in-the-clouds

Informal

4.4

Appearing lost in thought with a soft, unfocused look

is more about unrealistic or impractical ideas than creative imagination

Antonyms

practical

507 2.6

About how something works in real life rather than in ideas

grounded

4.2

Being calm and sensible with a realistic view of life

How Practical

down-to-earth

42 4.1

practical

507 2.6

unfocused

16 4.8

daydreamy

Informal

4.4

head-in-the-clouds

Informal

7.9

Surface Forms

head-in-the-clouds positive

Etymology

Head-in-the-clouds comes from the image of a person's head up in the clouds, as if they are far above the ground. That's why it means being 'dreamy', 'unrealistic', or 'not paying attention'.