as in trance
the state of being lost in thought
if you're bored while traveling, daydreaming is a perfectly normal state to be in, regardless of what the road signs say
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as in dreaming
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of daydreaming
Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
But across the rest of the record, whether retelling or daydreaming, Hawke maintains a writerly attention to assonance and rhyme.
—Caitlin Wolper Phillips, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Nothing wrong with idealizing and daydreaming, but to a certain extent.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
These cuts enable us to spend more time daydreaming and less time in the salon.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The colorful flowers are perfect for a photo-op or casual daydreaming.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Those daydreaming of taking in the sweeping sunrise vistas across Middle Harbour just got lucky because one of the most significant abodes on the street just surfaced on market for the first time in over four decades.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a train ride for daydreaming, drawing, reading, playing cards, or any other low-tech pursuit.
—Alesandra Dubin, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025
Noun
No amount of daydreaming would have been able to replace the knowledge that Lenny could have shared.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
But across the rest of the record, whether retelling or daydreaming, Hawke maintains a writerly attention to assonance and rhyme.
—Caitlin Wolper Phillips, Pitchfork, 4 May 2026
Nothing wrong with idealizing and daydreaming, but to a certain extent.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
These cuts enable us to spend more time daydreaming and less time in the salon.
—Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Feb. 2026
Filmmaking is blind instinct, petty calculations, smooth generalship, daydreaming, pig-headedness, grace, bluff, risk.
—Susan Sontag, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2025
The colorful flowers are perfect for a photo-op or casual daydreaming.
—Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Those daydreaming of taking in the sweeping sunrise vistas across Middle Harbour just got lucky because one of the most significant abodes on the street just surfaced on market for the first time in over four decades.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a train ride for daydreaming, drawing, reading, playing cards, or any other low-tech pursuit.
—Alesandra Dubin, AFAR Media, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daydreaming
Noun
-
Giles does this by putting Buffy into a trance with a crystal and then injecting her with muscle relaxants and adrenaline suppressors.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 June 2026
-
Jamie hesitated and then, in an actorly kind of trance, came over and joined her on the bed.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Joel celebrated his son's 11th birthday with a dreamy snap on Instagram.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
11 Dec. 2025
-
Joan has a way of creating the dreamiest collages.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
An hour earlier, George had walked through the tropical forest, day dreaming.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The wedding — and especially Cassie and Nate’s dance, as Cassie melts down on the day she’s spent her life dreaming of, having learned about the deep financial hole Nate is in — must have felt especially layered.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Office talk might already be turning toward fall planning, but our daydreams continue to be escapist, and often nostalgic with summer memories.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
21 July 2025
-
From $417 per night. Perks: Pet friendly, patio, free parking, pool, outdoor shower If daydreams of your next trip are filled with al fresco dinners, this two-bedroom home will do you one better by adding birds-eye ocean vistas to the scene.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
16 July 2025
Adjective
-
Another shot included here shows a more pensive Marilyn on set, waiting to spring to life.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
1 June 2026
-
About a week before the reveal, Young was feeling pensive.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
Kudrow, who starred as the free-spirited Phoebe Buffay, said the writers reprimanded the cast for forgetting lines and spent their off-hours fantasizing about her female co-stars.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That’s not the same as fantasizing about Chinese lifestyles from afar.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Washington’s other Herbert, then-Librarian of Congress Herbert Putnam, refused to surrender the engrossed Declaration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
Rachel became engrossed in Facebook videos of other moms who were documenting their families’ self-deportation process and describing their relief to be out of the United States.—
Caitlin Dickerson,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Vergne will be in charge of overseeing the museum’s public programming, exhibitions and artistic direction, as well as strengthening relationships with international partner institutions and re-envisioning the museum’s curatorial scope.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
4 June 2026
-
But Rose and the Knicks valued Bridges’ fit, envisioning him as another defensive stopper and as a dangerous 3-point shooter and slasher to further open up the Knicks’ offense.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daydreaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daydreaming. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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