daydream

/ˌdeɪˈdrim/

/ˈdeɪdrim/

Other forms: daydreams; daydreaming; daydreamed

A daydream is a fantasy you have while you're awake. Daydreams are pleasant, and they can be so absorbing that they distract you from what's going on around you.

You might have a daydream about moving to a big city, or about how you'd spend your millions if you won the lottery. To do this — dream, muse, or fantasize — is also to daydream. Your math teacher might scold you, saying, "You can't daydream in the middle of the calculus final!" The word dates from the 17th century.

Definitions of daydream

1. noun

   absentminded dreaming while awake
   synonyms: air castle, castle in Spain, castle in the air, daydreaming, oneirism, reverie, revery

   type of:

   dream, dreaming

   imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
2. verb

   have dreamlike musings or fantasies while awake
   “She looked out the window, daydreaming”

   synonyms: moon

   type of:

   idle, laze, slug, stagnate

   be idle; exist in a changeless situation
3. verb

   have a daydream; indulge in a fantasy
   synonyms: dream, stargaze, woolgather

   type of:

   conceive of, envisage, ideate, imagine

   form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case