pipe dream

noun

Definition of pipe dream

: an illusory or fantastic plan, hope, or story

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about pipe dream

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of pipe dream in a Sentence

His plan for starting his own business was just a pipe dream. opening our own restaurant has long been a pipe dream

Recent Examples on the Web

But while a folding phone is still an unaffordable pipe dream for most of us, there are many features in Android Q that will make non-folding Android phones better than ever. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "7 tweaks and changes in Android Q that will make your phone better than it is now," 13 Mar. 2019 Soon, our plans for a big family seemed more like a pipe dream. — Claire Gibson, Marie Claire, "My Long, Messy, Beautifully Complicated Path to Adopting My Son," 1 Oct. 2018 This pipe dream explains the liberal abuse raining... — Holman W. Jenkins, WSJ, "Howard Schultz Is Right About Medicare for All," 1 Feb. 2019 Testing the waters with bloatware For most OEMs, leaving the Google ecosystem and still being successful is nothing more than a pipe dream. — Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, "Google’s iron grip on Android: Controlling open source by any means necessary," 21 July 2018 His last procedure, which fused discs in his lower back, was more about his quality of life, with winning majors having been reduced to a pipe dream. — Brian Costa, WSJ, "Brooks Koepka Wins the PGA Championship," 12 Aug. 2018 The perception that sanctions can bring us on our knees is a pipe dream of the people who are ignorant about us. — Farnaz Fassihi, WSJ, "North Korea Says It Will Disarm Only When U.S. Regains Its Trust," 29 Sep. 2018 Maybe a return to supersonic flight isn't that much a pipe dream after all. — Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, "The Concorde Could Be Coming Back," 18 Sep. 2015 Ambitious federal legislation is a pipe dream for now, and will remain so for as long as the GOP a) is bananas and b) holds at least 40 seats in the Senate. — David Roberts, Vox, "After the midterms, US climate politics are even more polarized. Here’s how Dems can move forward.," 12 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pipe dream.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.