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Glite Dictionary
head in the clouds

head in the clouds

1 7.2
To daydream and not pay attention to what is around you
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : estar en las nubes
  • Dreamy and thoughtful, you are often seen with your nose in a book and your head in the clouds.

Until next time, keep your head in the clouds and your eyes in the shots.

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Examples

  • I have my grandfather constantly telling me I have my head in the clouds and I'm in for a rude awakening.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • This guy has his head in the clouds.

    Blog text (17)

  • Until next time, keep your head in the clouds and your eyes in the shots.

    Megyn Kelly

  • Got your head in the clouds lately.

    Dirty Dancing (2017)

  • Is your boss detail-oriented, or someone who keeps his head in the clouds?

    Blog text (8)

  • A man with responsibilities can't have his head in the clouds all the time.

    Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

  • You've got your head in the clouds, Leslie.

    Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

  • "Your mother, as you may well know, had her head in the clouds," said Agnes Scully, picking up her teacup.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • She grew bright-eyed, dreamy, and soulful, and neglected the housework to stare idly out the balcony windows, into the street, into my mirror, her head in the clouds.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Sometimes, it's nice to let your mind wander and have your head in the clouds while enjoying a sunny afternoon.

Synonyms

to moon
vshead in the clouds
8 7.4

To spend time thinking and not pay attention

is more about being unrealistic or not paying attention
to stargaze
vshead in the clouds
  • Informal
1 6.4

To think about pleasant, unlikely things instead of paying attention

is about daydreaming or not paying attention to surroundings

Antonyms

alert
137 3.5

A state of being ready and watchful for possible danger

grounded
4.2

Being calm and sensible with a realistic view of life

How Distracted

absentminded
2 5.9
head in the clouds
  • Informal
1 7.2
dreamy
13 3.3

Surface Forms

head in the clouds main

Morphology

head + in + the + cloud

The meaning 'to be daydreaming or not paying attention' is metaphorically related to the constituents: having one's 'head' 'in' the 'clouds' evokes being mentally ungrounded rather than a literal position. Because this is a figurative, cross-linguistically common metaphor learners might infer the general idea, but the non-literal mapping is not fully compositional or predictable for an unfamiliar B1 learner.

Etymology

Head in the clouds comes from the picture of someone's head up in the sky among clouds, so they cannot see or notice what is happening on the ground. That's why it means 'daydreaming' or 'not paying attention'.