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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in dreaming
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Recent Examples of daydreaming
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
Maladaptive daydreaming is a form of intense daydreaming characterized by the creation of unrealistic or fantastical situations, conversations, or stories in one’s own mind that are outside the realm of a person’s day-to-day life.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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
Maladaptive daydreaming is a form of intense daydreaming characterized by the creation of unrealistic or fantastical situations, conversations, or stories in one’s own mind that are outside the realm of a person’s day-to-day life.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daydreaming
Noun
-
Pulling us into a trance-like state.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
-
Throughout much of Buddhist history, and particularly in Theravada Buddhist contexts, mindfulness and its associated meditation methods have been the purview of mendicants (monks and nuns), who used mindfulness meditation to achieve trance states (jhana) leading to nirvana.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My parents had been dreaming of visiting a holy site in southern France for decades when the opportunity to go finally arose.—
Mary Beth Skylis,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
-
Keep dreaming them big ol dreams my sweet girl.—
Kelsie Gibson,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Some stories plant deep in your creative brain and come out through songs heard on the radio and random daydreams in the shower.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This dreamy blend includes 3 grams of melatonin along with L-theanine, chamomile and lemon balm.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
And then there are songs that are a lot more dreamy and a little bit more positive, more hopeful, sort of euphoric.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
8 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
-
His 2025 tape, WOMB, embodied this through his pensive grumbles over wispy vocal chops; each bar that cut through the fog was steeped in sober gravitas.—
Olivier Lafontant,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The subject is pensive, expressionless and looking away from the camera.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 1866, Howells had been able to recognize the connection between ending slavery, envisioning equality, and the broadest expression of the American idea.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But reflection on those few hours of celebration — that wild scramble to enjoy the moment, yet hurry to get everyone ready to go home — left the Dodgers envisioning one of the few things this contemporary dynasty has yet to accomplish.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Unabsorbed calcium leaves the body through stool, and absorbed calcium that isn't needed may be filtered by the kidneys and leave in urine—often within about a day.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The absorbed or scattered light creates a unique pattern called the spectrum, which is effectively the substance’s fingerprint.—
Ambuj Tewari,
The Conversation,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Daydreaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daydreaming. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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