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
Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2023
Designing the stamps was certainly a dream project for Meléndez, who is known for his murals and design work for Starbucks.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023
With four smooth wheels and a large compartment to hold your dream wardrobe, this small-but-mighty suitcase makes checking a bag one less thing to worry about.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2023
But just when Aysha seems in danger of being reduced to a manic pixie dream girl or damsel in distress in his journey of self-discovery, the balance reverses in the second hour, as she’s confronted with her own crisis of identity.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2023
The title might be a salute to Katy Perry, but Olivia sings about a very different kind of teenage dream.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Check features a clean and vibrant geometric design that feels like any contemporary lover's dream.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2023
But the dream is short-lived: this is the last conversation Kall and Linda will ever have.
—Talya Zax, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2023
The film also resonates with the dreams and despairs of millions of migrant workers and their families back home.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Sep. 2023
Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2023
The Swaddle Up by Love to Dream is for those who dare to dream of another way to swaddle.
—Samson McDougall, Parents, 8 Sep. 2023
At her family’s small Italian restaurant in Nogales, Arizona, Nicole Davison León dreamt of being the first in her household to attend college.
—oregonlive, 8 Sep. 2023
Between those games, a lot of teams are going to start the year 1-0, and their loyal fans will begin dreaming about a trip to the Super Bowl.
—Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
No one ever imagined or dreamed of being in this position.
—Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2023
After bringing together his first class, Johnson hired videographers, dreaming that the footage would one day end up on Netflix.
—Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
For years, urbanists and civic leaders have dreamed of getting Madison Square Garden to move elsewhere in Manhattan, freeing up the station below for a true overhaul.
—Dana Rubinstein, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2023
California infielder Louis Lappe accomplished something every 12-year-old athlete has dreamed about in their backyard or in practice – hit a walk-off home run to win a game for your team.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 27 Aug. 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 1 Oct. 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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