Gladys Taber
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Not until the 13th century was our word dream used in the sense of “a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep.” The word itself is considerably older. In Old English dream means “joy,” “noise,” or “music.” Yet the change in meaning did not come from the development of a more specialized sense. Rather it appears that after many Scandinavian conflicts, conquests, and settlements in Britain the Old Norse draumr, meaning “a dream during sleep,” influenced the meaning of the etymologically related, English word. By the end of the 14th century the earlier meanings had been entirely replaced.
Synonyms
Examples of dream in a Sentence
Kelly Livingston, ABC News, 17 Nov. 2023
Find it on Amazon Adventure Awaits with a Backyard Climbing Dome
The climbing dome is a dream playground for kids and a relief for parents.
—Theresa Johnson, Rolling Stone, 15 Nov. 2023
In a new interview with Architectural Digest, the actor, 37, discussed designing his dream sofa, starting with sketches and then making models of the piece out of clay.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 15 Nov. 2023
Her roster of celebrities is already quite full—but does the shoe designer have a dream client?
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2023
Pink missiles with daisies As the humanitarian crisis deepens, once mundane activities such as taking a shower, eating a sweet, or drinking a glass of clean water have become dreams to many people here.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Nov. 2023
This Gulf Blue, ducktail dream is offered without reserve, but is expected to fetch up to $400,000.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 13 Nov. 2023
Cathedral Catholic High School’s girls volleyball team enjoyed a dream season in 2022.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Nov. 2023
Other celebs Cohen has named as dream stars for the Housewives role include Vanessa Bryant, Chrissy Teigen, Julia Fox, Jana Kramer and Ayda Field Williams, who Page Six previously reported as Cohen’s wishlist.
—Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023
Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Some wouldn’t have dreamed of setting foot in this place a year ago.
—Max Raskin, WSJ, 14 Nov. 2023
Twenty-five years ago, in a small fishing village in Iceland (population: 369), one man built a soccer field at the foot of a volcano, dreaming of a home game in the national FA Cup.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 14 Nov. 2023
Women founders tend to build businesses that generate more revenues, create higher job growth, dream bigger, and execute better.
—Kumar Mehta, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
These drive-through Christmas lights are ideal for anyone who’s ever dreamed of getting transported to Candyland.
—Anna Borges, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Nov. 2023
Share [Findings] Cetaceans are least likely among mammals to dream profoundly.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
Democrats have, in recent years, demonstrated the tendency to dream a little too big and pile untold sums of campaign cash in the coffers of a litany of no-hopers.
—Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 4 Nov. 2023
Based on the television series of the same name, the narrative follows a young girl who dreams of playing football in a world that’s been overrun by androids.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 3 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dream.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Noun and Verb
Middle English dreem, from Old English drēam noise, joy, and Old Norse draumr dream; akin to Old High German troum dream
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Phrases Containing dream
Dictionary Entries Near dream
Cite this Entry
“Dream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dream. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
Medical Definition
dream
2 of 2 verb
More from Merriam-Webster on dream
Nglish: Translation of dream for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dream for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dream
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