Idioms are vibrant, imaginative expressions that add a splash of color to our language, transforming ordinary conversations into something far more engaging and evocative. These phrases often carry meanings that stretch beyond their literal words, offering creative ways to describe complex emotions, aspirations, or experiences. When it comes to dreams—whether they’re the visions we have while sleeping or the ambitions we chase while awake—idioms can beautifully capture their ethereal, hopeful, and sometimes elusive nature. For anyone looking to deepen their understanding of language or express their dreams more vividly, learning these idioms is both practical and inspiring.
Dream-related idioms resonate deeply because they reflect our innermost hopes, fears, and fantasies, making them perfect for storytelling, poetry, or even casual chats with friends. They encourage us to think creatively about our goals and the mysterious world of sleep, while also providing a shared cultural shorthand for discussing life’s possibilities. In this blog post, you’ll discover 50 idioms about dreams, complete with their meanings, example sentences, and alternative ways to say them. Plus, there’s a fun exercise to help you practice and weave these idioms into your everyday conversations. Let’s embark on a dreamy journey through the world of idioms!
Idioms for Dreams
1. Build castles in the air
Meaning: To create unrealistic or impractical plans or dreams.
In a Sentence: She was always building castles in the air about becoming a famous singer without ever practicing her vocals.
Other Ways to Say: Daydream, Fantasize about the impossible
2. Chase your dreams
Meaning: To actively pursue your ambitions or goals.
In a Sentence: Despite the challenges, he decided to chase his dreams of opening his own bakery after years of working a desk job.
Other Ways to Say: Follow your aspirations, Go after your goals
3. In your dreams
Meaning: Used to dismiss something as unlikely or impossible.
In a Sentence: You think you’ll beat me at basketball? In your dreams!
Other Ways to Say: No way, Dream on
4. Pipe dream
Meaning: An unrealistic or unattainable goal.
In a Sentence: Moving to a private island might sound nice, but it’s just a pipe dream for most of us.
Other Ways to Say: Fantasy, Wishful thinking
5. Dream big
Meaning: To have ambitious or grand aspirations.
In a Sentence: She always encouraged her students to dream big and aim for careers that would change the world.
Other Ways to Say: Think big, Have high hopes
6. Live the dream
Meaning: To experience a life that fulfills your ideal aspirations.
In a Sentence: After years of hard work, she was finally living the dream as a travel writer exploring exotic destinations.
Other Ways to Say: Live your best life, Achieve your ideal
7. Dream come true
Meaning: When something you’ve hoped for actually happens.
In a Sentence: Getting accepted into her top-choice university felt like a dream come true after months of preparation.
Other Ways to Say: Wish fulfilled, Fantasy realized
8. Shattered dreams
Meaning: Hopes or ambitions that have been destroyed or unfulfilled.
In a Sentence: After the injury ended his soccer career, he was left grappling with shattered dreams of playing professionally.
Other Ways to Say: Broken hopes, Crushed aspirations
9. Beyond your wildest dreams
Meaning: Something far greater than you could have imagined.
In a Sentence: The success of her small business grew beyond her wildest dreams, earning her international recognition.
Other Ways to Say: Unimaginably great, More than you hoped
10. Catch some Z’s
Meaning: To get some sleep.
In a Sentence: After pulling an all-nighter, I need to catch some Z’s before my big presentation tomorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Get some rest, Hit the hay
11. Sleep like a log
Meaning: To sleep very deeply and soundly.
In a Sentence: After the long hike, she slept like a log and didn’t wake up until noon the next day.
Other Ways to Say: Sleep soundly, Be out like a light
12. In a dream world
Meaning: Living in an unrealistic or idealized fantasy.
In a Sentence: He thinks everything will work out perfectly without effort, but he’s living in a dream world.
Other Ways to Say: In a fantasy, Out of touch with reality
13. Follow your heart
Meaning: To pursue what you truly desire or believe in.
In a Sentence: She followed her heart and moved to Paris to study art, despite her parents’ concerns about stability.
Other Ways to Say: Trust your instincts, Go with your passion
14. Head in the clouds
Meaning: To be daydreaming or not paying attention to reality.
In a Sentence: He’s always got his head in the clouds, imagining grand adventures instead of focusing on his homework.
Other Ways to Say: Daydreaming, Lost in thought
15. Reach for the stars
Meaning: To aim for ambitious or lofty goals.
In a Sentence: Her parents always told her to reach for the stars and never settle for anything less than her best.
Other Ways to Say: Aim high, Strive for greatness
16. Sweet dreams
Meaning: A wish for someone to have pleasant dreams while sleeping.
In a Sentence: As she tucked her daughter into bed, she whispered, “Sweet dreams,” and kissed her forehead.
Other Ways to Say: Have nice dreams, Sleep well
17. Dream on
Meaning: To suggest that something is unrealistic or unlikely.
In a Sentence: You think you’ll win the lottery without buying a ticket? Dream on!
Other Ways to Say: Keep dreaming, Not a chance
18. Lost in a dream
Meaning: To be deeply absorbed in a fantasy or daydream.
In a Sentence: She was lost in a dream about traveling the world while staring out the classroom window.
Other Ways to Say: Caught in a fantasy, Daydreaming
19. Pinch yourself
Meaning: To check if something amazing is real or if you’re dreaming.
In a Sentence: When she won the scholarship, she had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream.
Other Ways to Say: Can’t believe it’s real, Too good to be true
20. A nightmare come true
Meaning: A terrible situation that feels like a bad dream.
In a Sentence: Losing her job right before the holidays felt like a nightmare come true for her family.
Other Ways to Say: Worst fear realized, Horrible reality
21. Toss and turn
Meaning: To be unable to sleep well, often due to worry or discomfort.
In a Sentence: She tossed and turned all night, anxious about her big exam the next morning.
Other Ways to Say: Restless sleep, Can’t settle down
22. Wake up and smell the coffee
Meaning: To face reality and stop dreaming or being delusional.
In a Sentence: You need to wake up and smell the coffee—your plan to skip studying won’t get you into college.
Other Ways to Say: Get real, Face the facts
23. Dream away
Meaning: To spend time daydreaming or fantasizing.
In a Sentence: Instead of doing her chores, she sat on the porch and dreamed away about her future adventures.
Other Ways to Say: Daydream, Lose yourself in thought
24. Out of your dreams
Meaning: Something so amazing it seems like it came from a dream.
In a Sentence: The vacation to Hawaii was so perfect, it felt like it was straight out of her dreams.
Other Ways to Say: Like a dream, Unreal
25. Sleep on it
Meaning: To delay a decision until after a night’s rest to think it over.
In a Sentence: I wasn’t sure about taking the job offer, so I decided to sleep on it before giving my answer.
Other Ways to Say: Think it over, Take your time deciding
26. Counting sheep
Meaning: A mental exercise to help fall asleep by imagining sheep jumping over a fence.
In a Sentence: When she couldn’t sleep, she tried counting sheep, but her mind kept wandering to her worries.
Other Ways to Say: Try to fall asleep, Lull yourself to sleep
27. A far-off dream
Meaning: A goal or aspiration that feels distant or unlikely.
In a Sentence: Owning a mansion by the beach seemed like a far-off dream when she was still in high school.
Other Ways to Say: Distant hope, Long-shot goal
28. Dream up
Meaning: To invent or imagine something creative or unrealistic.
In a Sentence: He dreamed up an elaborate plan to start a tech company with no experience or funding.
Other Ways to Say: Imagine, Come up with
29. In the land of nod
Meaning: To be asleep or in a dreamlike state.
In a Sentence: By midnight, the kids were all in the land of nod, dreaming peacefully in their beds.
Other Ways to Say: Fast asleep, In dreamland
30. A dream deferred
Meaning: A hope or ambition delayed or postponed.
In a Sentence: Her dream of becoming a doctor was a dream deferred while she worked to support her family.
Other Ways to Say: Postponed ambition, Delayed goal
31. Fly high
Meaning: To pursue ambitious dreams or achieve great success.
In a Sentence: With her new promotion, she felt like she was finally flying high and living her dreams.
Other Ways to Say: Soar to success, Achieve greatness
32. Stars in your eyes
Meaning: To be overly optimistic or dreamy about something.
In a Sentence: She had stars in her eyes when she talked about moving to Hollywood to become an actress.
Other Ways to Say: Full of hope, Dreamy optimism
33. Drift off
Meaning: To gradually fall asleep.
In a Sentence: As the rain tapped against the window, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep filled with dreams.
Other Ways to Say: Fall asleep, Doze off
34. A waking dream
Meaning: An experience so surreal it feels like a dream while awake.
In a Sentence: Walking through the vibrant festival felt like a waking dream, with colors and music swirling around her.
Other Ways to Say: Dreamlike moment, Surreal experience
35. Hold fast to dreams
Meaning: To cling to your hopes and ambitions despite challenges.
In a Sentence: Even when things got tough, she held fast to dreams of starting her own fashion line.
Other Ways to Say: Keep your dreams alive, Don’t give up hope
36. Dreamland
Meaning: A state of sleep or a place where dreams occur.
In a Sentence: After a long day, she couldn’t wait to slip into dreamland and escape her worries.
Other Ways to Say: Land of dreams, Sleep
37. Pie in the sky
Meaning: An unrealistic or overly optimistic goal.
In a Sentence: His plan to retire at 30 with no savings was just pie in the sky.
Other Ways to Say: Wishful thinking, Unattainable dream
38. Dream the impossible dream
Meaning: To aspire to something extremely difficult or unlikely.
In a Sentence: She dreamed the impossible dream of uniting people across cultures through her music.
Other Ways to Say: Aim for the unattainable, Chase the improbable
39. Caught in a dream
Meaning: To be absorbed in a fantasy or illusion.
In a Sentence: He was caught in a dream of fame and fortune while neglecting his studies.
Other Ways to Say: Lost in fantasy, Wrapped in a dream
40. A fleeting dream
Meaning: A hope or vision that passes quickly and is hard to hold onto.
In a Sentence: Her idea of traveling the world felt like a fleeting dream as responsibilities piled up.
Other Ways to Say: Passing fancy, Short-lived hope
41. Dreamweaver
Meaning: Someone who creates or inspires dreams or visions.
In a Sentence: As a storyteller, she was a dreamweaver, spinning tales that captivated her audience’s imaginations.
Other Ways to Say: Visionary, Imaginative creator
42. Sleep tight
Meaning: A friendly wish for a good night’s sleep.
In a Sentence: Before leaving the room, he said, “Sleep tight,” hoping his son would have pleasant dreams.
Other Ways to Say: Rest well, Have a good sleep
43. A dream worth chasing
Meaning: An ambition or goal that is meaningful and worth pursuing.
In a Sentence: Starting her own nonprofit was a dream worth chasing, even if it took years to achieve.
Other Ways to Say: Worthy goal, Meaningful aspiration
44. Lucid dream
Meaning: A dream where you are aware you’re dreaming and can control it.
In a Sentence: Last night, she had a lucid dream where she flew over mountains and explored new worlds.
Other Ways to Say: Controlled dream, Aware dream
45. Daydream believer
Meaning: Someone who frequently fantasizes or imagines unrealistic scenarios.
In a Sentence: As a daydream believer, he often pictured himself as a superhero saving the world.
Other Ways to Say: Dreamer, Fantasist
46. A dream in the making
Meaning: A goal or aspiration that is actively being worked toward.
In a Sentence: Her novel was a dream in the making, with each chapter bringing her closer to publication.
Other Ways to Say: Work in progress, Aspiration in action
47. Fade like a dream
Meaning: To disappear or become forgotten, like a dream upon waking.
In a Sentence: Her childhood ambitions to be an astronaut faded like a dream as she grew older.
Other Ways to Say: Vanish like a dream, Slip away
48. Dream a little dream
Meaning: To indulge in small, pleasant fantasies or hopes.
In a Sentence: On quiet evenings, she liked to dream a little dream about sailing across the ocean.
Other Ways to Say: Fantasize a bit, Imagine softly
49. Restless dreams
Meaning: Dreams that are unsettling or cause disturbed sleep.
In a Sentence: After watching the scary movie, he was plagued by restless dreams of monsters chasing him.
Other Ways to Say: Troubled dreams, Nightmares
50. Dare to dream
Meaning: To have the courage to imagine and pursue ambitious goals.
In a Sentence: Despite growing up in a small town, she dared to dream of performing on Broadway one day.
Other Ways to Say: Be bold in your aspirations, Imagine bravely
Practical Exercise
Fill in the blanks:
- She was always _______ castles in the air about traveling the world without saving any money.
- After years of hard work, his acceptance into medical school was a _______ come true.
- You think you’ll get an A without studying? _______ on!
- He decided to _______ his dreams and start his own tech company despite the risks.
- After the exhausting day, she couldn’t wait to _______ some Z’s and rest.
- Her plan to become a millionaire by next year was just a _______ dream.
- When she won the art contest, she had to _______ herself to believe it was real.
- He spent the afternoon _______ away, imagining life as a famous musician.
- The idea of owning a yacht seemed like a _______-off dream when she was still in college.
- Even when things got tough, she _______ fast to dreams of becoming a scientist.
- The magical evening felt like a _______ dream, with lights and laughter all around.
- Her startup was a _______ in the making, growing stronger with every new client.
Answers:
building, dream, Dream, chase, catch, pipe, pinch, dreaming, far, held, waking, dream
Conclusion
Idioms about dreams offer a captivating way to express the hopes, fantasies, and aspirations that shape our lives, whether they’re the fleeting visions of sleep or the ambitious goals we chase while awake. These phrases add depth and creativity to our conversations, making them more vivid and relatable. By incorporating these dream-related idioms into your daily speech, writing, or storytelling, you can bring a touch of magic to how you communicate.
Practice using these idioms with friends, in journal entries, or even in creative projects to make them a natural part of your vocabulary. Dreams, both literal and figurative, are a universal part of the human experience, and these idioms help us share those experiences with flair. Keep dreaming big, and let these expressions inspire you to articulate your visions with confidence and imagination!