dream
♦♦ dream /dr'iːm/ (dreams dreaming dreamed dreamt)
American English uses the form dreamed as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either dreamed or dreamt.
1 [N-COUNT]
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep.
He had a dream about Claire...
I had a dream that I was in an old study, surrounded by leather books.
2 [VERB] V that, V about/of n, also V
When you dream, you experience imaginary events in your mind while you are asleep.
Ivor dreamed that he was on a bus...
She dreamed about her baby.
3 [N-COUNT] usu with supp
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen.
He had finally accomplished his dream of becoming a pilot...
My dream is to have a house in the country...
= ambition
4 [VERB] V of/about n/-ing, V of/about n/-ing, V that
If you often think about something that you would very much like to happen or have, you can say that you dream of it.
As a schoolgirl, she had dreamed of becoming an actress...
For most of us, a brand new designer kitchen is something we can only dream about...
I dream that my son will attend college and find a good job.
5 [ADJ] ADJ n
You can use dream to describe something that you think is ideal or perfect, especially if it is something that you thought you would never be able to have or experience.
...a dream holiday to Jamaica.
6 [N-SING] poss N
If you describe something as a particular person's dream, you think that it would be ideal for that person and that he or she would like it very much.
Greece is said to be a botanist's dream...
7 [N-SING] a N
If you say that something is a dream, you mean that it is wonderful. (INFORMAL)
8 [N-COUNT] usu sing, with supp
You can refer to a situation or event that does not seem real as a dream, especially if it is very strange or unpleasant.
When the right woman comes along, this bad dream will be over.
9 [VERB] with neg, V of -ing/n
If you say that you would not dream of doing something, you are emphasizing that you would never do it because you think it is wrong or is not possible or suitable for you.
I wouldn't dream of making fun of you...
10 [VERB] with brd-neg, V that, V of n
If you say that you never dreamed that something would happen, you are emphasizing that you did not think that it would happen because it seemed very unlikely.
I never dreamed that I would be able to afford a home here...
Who could ever dream of a disaster like this?...
11
see also pipe dream, wet dream
12 [PHRASE] PHR after v, v-link PHR
If you say that you are in a dream, you mean that you do not concentrate properly on what you are doing because you are thinking about other things.
All day long I moved in a dream.
13 [PHRASE] PHR after v
If you say that someone does something like a dream, you think that they do it very well. If you say that something happens like a dream, you mean that it happens successfully without any problems.
She cooked like a dream...
14 [PHRASE] n PHR
If you describe someone or something as the person or thing of your dreams, you mean that you consider them to be ideal or perfect.
This could be the man of my dreams.
15 [PHRASE] with brd-neg, PHR with cl
If you say that you could not imagine a particular thing in your wildest dreams, you are emphasizing that you think it is extremely strange or unlikely.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think we could win.
16 [PHRASE] n PHR, PHR after v, v-link PHR
If you describe something as being beyond your wildest dreams, you are emphasizing that it is better than you could have imagined or hoped for.
She had already achieved success beyond her wildest dreams.dream team (dream teams)
[N-COUNT]
A dream team is the best possible group of people to be in a sports team or to do a particular job.
...American basketball's dream team.dream tick|et
[N-SING]
If journalists talk about a dream ticket, they are referring to two candidates for political positions, for example President and Vice-President, or Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, who they think will be extremely successful.dream up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you dream up a plan or idea, you work it out or create it in your mind.
I dreamed up a plan to solve both problems at once...
His son hadn't dreamed it up.pipe dream (pipe dreams)
also pipe-dream
[N-COUNT]
A pipe dream is a hope or plan that you have which you know will never really happen.
You could waste your whole life on a pipe-dream.wet dream (wet dreams)
1 [N-COUNT]
If a man has a wet dream, he has a dream about sex which causes him to have an orgasm while he is asleep.
2 [N-COUNT] usu poss N
If someone says that a person or thing is a particular person's wet dream, they are saying in an unkind and mocking way that this person or thing would give that person a lot of pleasure. (INFORMAL, RUDE)
American English uses the form dreamed as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either dreamed or dreamt.
1 [N-COUNT]
A dream is an imaginary series of events that you experience in your mind while you are asleep.
He had a dream about Claire...
I had a dream that I was in an old study, surrounded by leather books.
2 [VERB] V that, V about/of n, also V
When you dream, you experience imaginary events in your mind while you are asleep.
Ivor dreamed that he was on a bus...
She dreamed about her baby.
3 [N-COUNT] usu with supp
You can refer to a situation or event as a dream if you often think about it because you would like it to happen.
He had finally accomplished his dream of becoming a pilot...
My dream is to have a house in the country...
= ambition
4 [VERB] V of/about n/-ing, V of/about n/-ing, V that
If you often think about something that you would very much like to happen or have, you can say that you dream of it.
As a schoolgirl, she had dreamed of becoming an actress...
For most of us, a brand new designer kitchen is something we can only dream about...
I dream that my son will attend college and find a good job.
5 [ADJ] ADJ n
You can use dream to describe something that you think is ideal or perfect, especially if it is something that you thought you would never be able to have or experience.
...a dream holiday to Jamaica.
6 [N-SING] poss N
If you describe something as a particular person's dream, you think that it would be ideal for that person and that he or she would like it very much.
Greece is said to be a botanist's dream...
7 [N-SING] a N
If you say that something is a dream, you mean that it is wonderful. (INFORMAL)
8 [N-COUNT] usu sing, with supp
You can refer to a situation or event that does not seem real as a dream, especially if it is very strange or unpleasant.
When the right woman comes along, this bad dream will be over.
9 [VERB] with neg, V of -ing/n
If you say that you would not dream of doing something, you are emphasizing that you would never do it because you think it is wrong or is not possible or suitable for you.
I wouldn't dream of making fun of you...
10 [VERB] with brd-neg, V that, V of n
If you say that you never dreamed that something would happen, you are emphasizing that you did not think that it would happen because it seemed very unlikely.
I never dreamed that I would be able to afford a home here...
Who could ever dream of a disaster like this?...
11
see also pipe dream, wet dream
12 [PHRASE] PHR after v, v-link PHR
If you say that you are in a dream, you mean that you do not concentrate properly on what you are doing because you are thinking about other things.
All day long I moved in a dream.
13 [PHRASE] PHR after v
If you say that someone does something like a dream, you think that they do it very well. If you say that something happens like a dream, you mean that it happens successfully without any problems.
She cooked like a dream...
14 [PHRASE] n PHR
If you describe someone or something as the person or thing of your dreams, you mean that you consider them to be ideal or perfect.
This could be the man of my dreams.
15 [PHRASE] with brd-neg, PHR with cl
If you say that you could not imagine a particular thing in your wildest dreams, you are emphasizing that you think it is extremely strange or unlikely.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think we could win.
16 [PHRASE] n PHR, PHR after v, v-link PHR
If you describe something as being beyond your wildest dreams, you are emphasizing that it is better than you could have imagined or hoped for.
She had already achieved success beyond her wildest dreams.dream team (dream teams)
[N-COUNT]
A dream team is the best possible group of people to be in a sports team or to do a particular job.
...American basketball's dream team.dream tick|et
[N-SING]
If journalists talk about a dream ticket, they are referring to two candidates for political positions, for example President and Vice-President, or Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, who they think will be extremely successful.dream up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you dream up a plan or idea, you work it out or create it in your mind.
I dreamed up a plan to solve both problems at once...
His son hadn't dreamed it up.pipe dream (pipe dreams)
also pipe-dream
[N-COUNT]
A pipe dream is a hope or plan that you have which you know will never really happen.
You could waste your whole life on a pipe-dream.wet dream (wet dreams)
1 [N-COUNT]
If a man has a wet dream, he has a dream about sex which causes him to have an orgasm while he is asleep.
2 [N-COUNT] usu poss N
If someone says that a person or thing is a particular person's wet dream, they are saying in an unkind and mocking way that this person or thing would give that person a lot of pleasure. (INFORMAL, RUDE)