What does dream mean?

Definitions for dream
drimdream

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word dream.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. dream, dreamingnoun

    a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep

    "I had a dream about you last night"

  2. dream, dreamingnoun

    imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake

    "he lives in a dream that has nothing to do with reality"

  3. ambition, aspiration, dreamnoun

    a cherished desire

    "his ambition is to own his own business"

  4. pipe dream, dreamnoun

    a fantastic but vain hope (from fantasies induced by the opium pipe)

    "I have this pipe dream about being emperor of the universe"

  5. dreamnoun

    a state of mind characterized by abstraction and release from reality

    "he went about his work as if in a dream"

  6. dreamverb

    someone or something wonderful

    "this dessert is a dream"

  7. dream, daydream, woolgather, stargazeverb

    have a daydream; indulge in a fantasy

  8. dreamverb

    experience while sleeping

    "She claims to never dream"; "He dreamt a strange scene"

Wiktionary

  1. dreamnoun

    Imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping.

  2. dreamnoun

    A hope or wish.

  3. dreamverb

    To see imaginary events in one's mind while sleeping

  4. dreamverb

    To hope, to wish

  5. dream

    To daydream

    Stop dreaming and get back to work.

  6. dream

    to create an imaginary experience (usually when asleep)

    I dreamed a vivid dream last night.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. DREAMnoun

    Etymology: droom, Dutch. This word is derived by Meric Casaubon , with more ingenuity than truth, from δϱᾶμα τοὺ ϐίου, the comedy of life; dreams being, as plays are, a representation of something which does not really happen. This conceit Franciscus Junius has enlarged by quoting an epigram. Σληνὴ ϖὰς ὁ βιος ϗ παίγνιον ἤ μιάϑε πάιζειν
    Τὴν σπουδὴν μεταϑεῖς ἤ φέϱε τὰς ὄδυνας
    Anthol.

    We eat our meat in fear, and sleep
    In the affliction of those terrible dreams
    That shake us nightly. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

    In dreams they fearful precipices tread;
    Or, shipwreck’d, labour to some distant shore. Dryden.

    Glorious dreams stand ready to restore
    The pleasing shapes of all you saw before. Dryden.

    Let him keep
    A hundred knights; yes, that on ev’ry dream,
    Each buz, each fancy, each complaint, dislike,
    He may enguard his dotage, William Shakespeare, King Lear.

  2. To Dreamverb

    To see in a dream.

    The Macedon, by Jove’s decree,
    Was taught to dream an herb for Ptolomey. Dryden.

    At length in sleep their bodies they compose,
    And dreamt the future sight, and early rose. John Dryden, Fab.

  3. To Dreamverb

    preter. dreamed, or dreamt.

    Etymology: from the noun.

    Dreaming is the having of ideas, whilst the outward senses are stopped, so that they receive not outward objects with their usual quickness, in the mind; not suggested by any external objects, or known occasion, nor under the rule or conduct of the understanding. John Locke.

    I have long dream’d of such a kind of man,
    But, being awake, I do despise my dream. William Shakespeare, H. IV.

    I have nightly since
    Dreamt of encounters ’twixt thyself and me:
    We have been down together in my sleep,
    Unbuckling helms, fisting each other’s throat,
    And wak’d half dead with nothing. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

    I dreamed that I was conveyed into a wide and boundless plain. Tatler, №. 81.

    These boys know little they are sons to th’ king,
    Nor Cymbeline dreams that they are alive. William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.

    He never dreamed of the deluge, nor thought that first orb more than a transient crust. Thomas Burnet, Theory of the Earth.

    He little dream’d how nigh he was to care,
    ’Till treach’rous fortune caught him in the snare. Dryden.

    They dream on in a constant course of reading, but not digesting. John Locke.

    I began to dream of nothing less than the immortality of my work. Smith.

    Why does Anthony dream out his hours,
    And tempts not fortune for a noble day? John Dryden, All for Love.

Wikipedia

  1. Dream

    A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not fully understood, although they have been a topic of scientific, philosophical and religious interest throughout recorded history. Dream interpretation is the attempt at drawing meaning from dreams and searching for an underlying message. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology.Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep—when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other stages of sleep. However, these dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable. The length of a dream can vary; they may last for a few seconds, or approximately 20–30 minutes. People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, and some may have up to seven; however, most dreams are immediately or quickly forgotten. Dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full eight-hour night sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two hours of REM. Dreams related to waking-life experiences are associated with REM theta activity, which suggests that emotional memory processing takes place in REM sleep.Opinions about the meaning of dreams have varied and shifted through time and culture. Many endorse the Freudian theory of dreams – that dreams reveal insight into hidden desires and emotions. Other prominent theories include those suggesting that dreams assist in memory formation, problem solving, or simply are a product of random brain activation.Sigmund Freud, who developed the psychological discipline of psychoanalysis, wrote extensively about dream theories and their interpretations in the early 1900s. He explained dreams as manifestations of one's deepest desires and anxieties, often relating to repressed childhood memories or obsessions. Furthermore, he believed that virtually every dream topic, regardless of its content, represented the release of sexual tension. In The Interpretation of Dreams (1899), Freud developed a psychological technique to interpret dreams and devised a series of guidelines to understand the symbols and motifs that appear in our dreams. In modern times, dreams have been seen as a connection to the unconscious mind. They range from normal and ordinary to overly surreal and bizarre. Dreams can have varying natures, such as being frightening, exciting, magical, melancholic, adventurous, or sexual. The events in dreams are generally outside the control of the dreamer, with the exception of lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is self-aware. Dreams can at times make a creative thought occur to the person or give a sense of inspiration.

ChatGPT

  1. dream

    A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Dreams can range from mundane and ordinary experiences to fantastical or bizarre scenarios, often featuring elements from one's memories, thoughts, desires, or subconscious mind. They can be vivid or fuzzy, unclear or coherent, and can evoke a range of emotions such as fear, happiness, or confusion. Dreams are subjective experiences unique to each individual and can serve various psychological, emotional, or creative purposes.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Dreamnoun

    the thoughts, or series of thoughts, or imaginary transactions, which occupy the mind during sleep; a sleeping vision

  2. Dreamnoun

    a visionary scheme; a wild conceit; an idle fancy; a vagary; a revery; -- in this sense, applied to an imaginary or anticipated state of happiness; as, a dream of bliss; the dream of his youth

  3. Dreamnoun

    to have ideas or images in the mind while in the state of sleep; to experience sleeping visions; -- often with of; as, to dream of a battle, or of an absent friend

  4. Dreamnoun

    to let the mind run on in idle revery or vagary; to anticipate vaguely as a coming and happy reality; to have a visionary notion or idea; to imagine

  5. Dreamverb

    to have a dream of; to see, or have a vision of, in sleep, or in idle fancy; -- often followed by an objective clause

  6. Etymology: [Cf. AS. drman, drman, to rejoice. See Dream, n.]

Wikidata

  1. Dream

    Dream is a fictional character and the protagonist of DC Comics' Vertigo comic book series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman. One of the seven Endless, inconceivably powerful beings older and greater than gods, Dream is both lord and personification of all dreams and stories, all that is not in reality. He has taken many names, including Morpheus and Oneiros, and his appearance can change depending on the person who is seeing him. Dream was named the sixth-greatest comic book character by Empire Magazine. He was also named fifteenth in IGN's 100 Top Comic Book Heroes list.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Dream

    drēm, n. a train of thoughts and fancies during sleep, a vision: something only imaginary.—v.i. to fancy things during sleep: to think idly.—v.t. to see in, or as in, a dream:—pa.t. and pa.p. dreamed or dreamt (dremt).—ns. Dream′er; Dream′ery, a place favourable to dreams: dream-work.—adj. Dream′ful (Tenn.), dreamy.—n. Dream′hole, one of the holes in the walls of steeples, towers, &c., for admitting light.—adv. Dream′ily.—n. Dream′iness.—adv. Dream′ingly.—n. Dream′land, the land of dreams, reverie, or imagination.—adj. Dream′less, free from dreams.—ns. Dream′while, the duration of a dream; Dream′world, a world of illusions.—adj. Dream′y, full of dreams: appropriate to dreams: dream-like. [M. E. dream, drēm, not recorded in A.S., but pointing to an assumed A.S. dréam, cog. with O. High Ger. troum, O. Norse draum, &c. This is distinct from the A.S. dréam, mirth, minstrelsy, being ultimately related to dreug-, draug-, drug-, to deceive, the radical sense therefore 'illusion.']

The Roycroft Dictionary

  1. dream

    1. A place where the starving feel the pangs of gluttony, and the threadbare wear opera-hats and spats. 2. A magic mirror wherein the dead appear to mock us with their happiness. 3. A cerebral phenomenon caused on upper Fifth Avenue by eating too much, and on the lower East Side by eating too little. 4. The Valhalla and the Welsh Rabbit; the Brocken where the souls of the animals, fish and birds we have eaten hold their revels; a private theater where indigestion is the prompter.

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz

  1. DREAM

    What a man may call a woman, though a Pill may have suggested it. Sweethearts are dreams because they seldom come true; wives, because they're often a night-mare, and both because they go by contraries.

Editors Contribution

  1. dreamnoun

    0.) A title of names credited with drive in the mind as a socioeconomic electromotive force side of the board in motion or direction to increase or change from an analog into a digital advantage. 1.) A series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. 2.) A person or thing perceived as wonderful or perfect. 3.) Experience thoughts during sleep. 4.) Contemplate the possibilities of doing something or that something might be the case.

    Many of our dreams sync into reality.

    Etymology: Unpredictable


    Submitted by Tehorah_Elyon on October 13, 2023  


  2. Dreamnoun

    homeless green teletubby

    Dream is a green blob who speedruns minecraft.

    Etymology: Middle English: of Germanic origin, related to Dutch and German , and probably also to Old English ‘joy, music’.


    Submitted by slightly_abnormal on March 3, 2022  

Suggested Resources

  1. dream

    Song lyrics by dream -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by dream on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'dream' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2712

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'dream' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2610

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'dream' in Nouns Frequency: #742

  4. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'dream' in Verbs Frequency: #612

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for dream »

  1. derma

  2. ramed

  3. armed

How to pronounce dream?

How to say dream in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of dream in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of dream in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of dream in a Sentence

  1. Amenorhu kwaku:

    I have watched the ways of the world. She makes promises like a dream and her treasures are an alluring mirage. Humanity cling desperately to mortal life in order to gratified this dream and its treasures. This I have seen to be the root of human suffering.

  2. Clifford V. Villalon:

    You dream, you aspire. You thrive, you grow. You succeed, you rejoice. You fail, you get everything... and do it again and again.

  3. Swayan basu:

    Everything is achievable; never stop yourself,from following on your dream.

  4. Vera Lytovchenko via AP:

    I dream about my little financial fund, because I received messages from all over the world, from all countries. They texted me, they want to help.

  5. Linda Evans:

    I thought, ‘Oh, my God. I think I should die rather than have to go through this,’ i mean, he was… it was just perfection that I was in love with him, that I told my sister when I was a teenager, I would marry him and then I did. I thought, ‘This is [a] God-given gift here, right? It’s not supposed to go away like that. What is this? My dream is not supposed to end like this.’.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

dream#1#2390#10000

Translations for dream

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for dream »

Translation

Find a translation for the dream definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"dream." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 2 Dec. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/dream>.

Discuss these dream definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for dream? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    dream

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
    A handsome
    B squashy
    C reassuring
    D opaque

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for dream: